Australia's compulsory voting.

[Paul K]

Now that we've had our say, and ensured nothing's going to change at all, I thought this BBC video was interesting. I was aware of Australia's compulsory voting law, but hadn't thought about the advantages of it. I think we could do with compulsory voting in the UK, accompanied by compulsory resignations:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-australia-61186402

[Kevin Farnell]

Now that we've had our say, and ensured nothing's going to change at all

Hmmm let's see what happens in Northern Ireland.

Personally, I totally disagree with compulsory voting. One of my favourite bands, the Canadian rock band Rush have a song titled 'Freewill', which includes the lyrics -

'If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice'

I didn't vote this time around, which is unheard of for me. My car is off the road and I have injured my back. My only option to get to the polling station would have been to walk, which was not possible and it was far too late to apply for a postal ballot.

Do Australians also get fined if the spoil their ballot paper?

I'm also against 2nd and 3rd choices - 1 adult = 1 vote! (if they want to use it). And don't get me started on giving the vote to 16 year olds. A person should have several years experience of living in the real world (as opposed to the cocoon of school) before they get a say in how the country is run.

I believe that Mike (Airspeed) posted at the last Australian election about his displeasure with the 2nd and 3rd choice requirement.

Kevin

[FlyTexas]

I had no idea Australia had compulsory voting. That woman definitely makes a case for it. Here in the US, compulsory voting would go over like a fart in church. Thanks for posting that, Paul. It was interesting for sure.

Brian

[Tomliner]

And don't get me started on giving the vote to 16 year olds

Political expediency Kevin, as I’m sure you realise. It gives the politicians the opportunity to ‘influence’ youngsters of 16 and under with inducements such as free bus passes for under 22s hoping that they will make the correct choice in elections or maybe a referendum.
The bus pass issue has already led to groups of youngsters spending time annoying other passengers with their antisocial behaviour on one bus after another simply because they can. Who could have predicted that?
This of course probably won’t affect those who introduced this policy who aren’t likely to use public transport.
I’d like to swear now but I won’t. EricT

[Airspeed]

Hi Kevin,
Sorry to hear of your injury. Speedy recovery to you.

Whilst I'm in favour of compulsory voting, as Kevin says, it's the "preference" transfers that I don't like. Rather than try to explain it myself, this link gives the story. It may not be available outside this country, so I've cut & pasted a couple of chunks and posted them below (in RED)

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/con ... lsrc=aw.ds

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
If no candidate secures an absolute majority of primary votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is then eliminated from the count.
......
The votes for this excluded candidate are then transferred to the candidate numbered two on each of the ballot papers, the voter's second preference.
This counting process continues until one candidate has more than half of the formal votes cast or an absolute majority and is therefore declared elected.
SENATE
If you vote above the line, you will need to number at least six boxes. Preferences are still in place with your vote endorsing the declared preferences of the party, allowing the party itself to control the flow of votes.

Voting below the line is more complicated and time consuming, requiring the voter to number at least twelve boxes of candidates.

There is no fine for lodging an invalid vote, or for writing obscenities on the ballot paper. You are checked into the booth, then it's up to you.
There's no way of identifying the voter from their ballot, so this also means that you can't discover whether you inadvertently invalidated your vote. ANYTHING written on the paper other than valid numbers inside the boxes means that your vote is disallowed. Missing or duplicated numbers also disallow your entire vote.

Brian,
People are weird! They want "freedom" to not wear masks, not to have vaccinations, to carry weapons, and are happy not to be "forced" to vote.

[emfrat]

Well, here in Oz it is compulsory to get your name ticked off and be issued with a ballot paper. You can be fined for not doing that. No-one except you will know what you did with your ballot paper.
'Compulsory Voting' was introduced along with the Preferential Voting system. Preferential Voting does not work unless there is a big voter turnout.
First problem is, in order to vote for someone I do want, I am required by law to state some degree of preference for every candidate, even those I do not want on the same planet, never mind in the Parliament. There is no option to say " No, not this one in any circumstances".
The next problem is that the whole course of the election can be perverted by 'preference deals' between the two major parties and the minor ones, including Independents - like "put us second on your How-to-Vote cards, and we will put you second on ours - you know you are unlikely to win on first preferences, but our second preferences might just get you over the line".
Couple that with the many committee chair and membership sinecures in the gift of whoever gets to be PM, and you have the foundation of all the corruption we see in our federal and state parliaments. Get rid of PV, and you get rid of the corruption. Keep compulsory voting, but in a first-past-the-post system.
That will avoid the situations which have arisen in the UK, where only 30% of the voters turnout, but a party getting only 40% of that vote can claim to have been granted a mandate.
This is not a political post - we are discussing faulty voting systems.
MikeW

[Tomliner]

While we’re on politics, can someone tell me why when an MP in the UK switches from one party to another mid term, there isn’t a bye election and they retain their seat until the next General Election?
After all they’ve betrayed those who elected them in the first place.
This I believe is known as crossing the floor. EricT

[Airspeed]

While we’re on politics, can someone tell me why when an MP in the UK switches from one party to another mid term, there isn’t a bye election and they retain their seat until the next General Election?
After all they’ve betrayed those who elected them in the first place.
This I believe is known as crossing the floor. EricT

Same applies here, Eric,
"They" claim that it's the PERSON who was voted in, not the PARTY. I think it's a stupid rule, leaving open the possibility of a whole bunch of "successful" candidates saying that they're all leaving their original party and forming a new one with entirely different ideals.
If ten people infiltrated each of the major parties, then ganged up with another ten independents, they would have an awful amount of power.
"Crossing the floor" just means voting other than in accordance with "your" party leader's instructions, on a particular matter.

[Tomliner]

Thanks Mike, and here’s me thinking that having to face an early by-election which they might well lose would cost them lost pensionable years. I should be ashamed of my cynicism, but guess what! EricT

[Vancouver]

Here in Canada, it is hair that is important or how good looking you are. Politics be damned!