Timber Floor Au

I have never voted in my life, and hve lived thru a few elections in the UK.

However, in Oz, its a tad different, lol as i found out a few weeks back...

Here its a LEGAL requirement, and not voting can result in a hefty fine and or imprisonment.

!!!! Mad

Steve

claire edwards

I think that's a good idea, I think it should be compulsory to vote.

Vanessa

Even if you have no interest in politics an/or do not understand who or what the different parties stand for? In an ideal world everyone would take an interest in their own country and worldwide issues but people don't and you can't make that compulsory!

Timber Floor Au

Personally I think it should be compulsory, but only if each party was voted in on a referrendum basis, and ongoing !!

I would know then that the prick i voted in, ( based on his pre election promises ) would continue to provide legislative protocols based on unanimous decisions.

Luke I Amyofath

the problem I have with forced voting is that they make the mentally ill etc vote and instead of the vote being a sound educated affair it becomes largely a lottery when you consider the mentally ill etc would vote for the first thing handed to them.
I often wonder if in the climate of forced voting, if its even possible to get anyone "for the people" voted in.

walaj

I will never forget the pictures (about 10yrs ago) of Black South Africans queuing up in enormous line, waiting so long just to be able to cast their vote, then find it pathetic the turn out this year for the UK elections and even worse for local elections.

Take a persons voting rights away and they will fight to have the right, but so many with the right take it for granted and can't be bothered. Even if a person can not decide on a party to vote for then they can at least spoil the voting paper (I take it that is allowed in Oz?)

Luke I Amyofath

Id have to ask the oz born misses to answer that but in the times she was with me in canada and the uk during voting, she had to contact oz to let them know she wasnt in oz or she would have gotten a fine !

MrsDagboy

As somebody pointed out the other day, voting is NOT compulsory.

However turning up at the polling booth & being handed a ballot paper is.

What you do with it after they give it to you is your business .

Timber Floor Au

hmmm No to my knowledge, you HAVE to turn up and make a decision.

i.e you must make a mark, even a HUGE cross, and POST your voteaccordingly.

This im reliably informed is called Compulsory Voting.

Your vote is not barcoded or indeed tied to you, but you MUST vote, or indeed LOOK the part.

Its not simply a case of TURNING up, and then doing with your voting card as you so wish.

Steve

Centurion

Is this a bad thing ? I am in two minds. Firstly my interest in politics in that non existent that I rarely vote and only used to vote in the UK because I could do so postally and didnt have to bother myself too much. So compulsory voting sounds iffy because I have to take time out personally to tick the box for some liar as opposed to a different liar

On the other hand this makes the government of the day truly Representative of the voting population. I doubt Mr Bush would like that sort of thing going on but for the rest of the free world I think its quite a nice comforting thought.

On balance I think its probably quite a good call in the grand scheme of things.

The Bloke

Sorry Steve, have to agree with Mrs D on this one. As long as your name is crossed of the list in the book, they don't care whether you vote for one of the canidates, fold the paper up and put it unmarked into the bin, scribble jibberish on it or take it home. Knew a guy years ago who crossed all the names of the voting paper and inserted Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Goofy etc.

The Bloke

The fine is usually not more than $40/$50. Mostly it is wavied if you can come up with a really good excuse, and there have been really good ones over the years. Best one recently was a woman who said she was too busy having sex to get to the polling booth.

A Brisbane City Council ward by-election over 1/3 of ward voters didn't even know there was an election- Council said nobody would be fined as they forgot to advertise the election date.

Siren & Brian

Will stand to be corrected but I am pretty sure legally you are required to fill in the forms accurately. Obviously they cant prove if you did or didnt.

If you dont vote then dont whinge when you dont like something the politicians do.

DagBoy

I think you have got a bit confused. The mentally ill are the ones that we are voting for.

Cheers,

DagBoy

wargod

Certainly in the UK MI5 can find out who you voted for, i am sure Australia have there own ways and means.......