D.B. or T.S.?

So Argentina has just elected its first... well... elected female president. Bravo, Cristina. Good for you. Honestly its rather boring news compared to other recent South American elections. Her victory was expected, and pretty much uncontested.

Here's the juicy bit...
according to a BBC article, Argentine's are not given the choice of whether to vote or not. It's required. So certain industrious non-voters put up their votes on an e-bay like site. The prices range quite a bit (from about 30 cents to 95 dollars), and I'm sure an interesting article can come out for anyone with more time than a grad student studying for quals (this is a freebie if anyone is looking for a quick grant).

Here's the real kicker: The website is international. It's basically e-bay for the Southern Cone. Theoretically speaking, I could have bought a vote in the Argentine election (maybe I missed a few buying restrictions when I visited mercadolibre.com). Granted there's no guarantee the voter I "buy" will actually vote in that way, but if they're disillusioned enough with their own political system to auction off their vote at 30 cents, they've got no incentive to NOT vote the way I ask either. So if there is a country out there with mandatory voting systems, that actually gives the voters incentive and opportunity to sell their votes on the open market. This leaves the country up for possible foreign influence, given enough internet connection and working credit cards (or pay-pal accounts or whatever the kids are using these days).

So I think next November we should all appreciate those Americans who choose to abstain from voting. Cheers to you guys. I'd rather you not vote, then sell it to an Argentine.