End compulsory voting

[footyfan1978]

So you admit there is a risk of a fine if you don't vote.

I not sure what comprehension classes you missed but nowhere in my post does it say, you do not risk a fine. You got to be brighter than you showing here. You cannot be this dim.

 

[R Chee Manning]

Yes that might be one reason, another could be that more and more people are becoming disenfranchised and feel they are being represented poorly by elected officials.

If the electorate perceives the quality of candidates and those leading their parties to be poor across the board, or that the army of Canberra lobbyists are effectively rendering the needs of those who can't afford to purchase their services irrelevant, why should the general population work up more than a minimal amount of enthusiasm for a choice they feel won't substantially affect their lives?

But as people have posted... compulsory voting makes us the envy of the world... because it produces quality politicians... unlike other countries with inferior voluntary voting systems...

https://www.news.com.au/national/fe...n/news-story/1e8dde03e31c0f9ffce2f83cae64c476

 

[Patrick Bullet]

Ummm? Where have I criticised how the country is run?

Go back - read again... I have not been critical of the Government...

merely the voting process...

I've bolded the relevant bit

 

[Taylor]

I think Australians are very cruisey about democracy for the most part because ours has never been particularly threatened.

That's true, and it was brought about without any struggle either.

Are we the only advanced democracy that hasn't had a civil war? Canada too?

 

[A Cut Above]

But as people have posted... compulsory voting makes us the envy of the world... because it produces quality politicians... unlike other countries with inferior voluntary voting systems...

https://www.news.com.au/national/fe...n/news-story/1e8dde03e31c0f9ffce2f83cae64c476

I've said many times if compulsory voting was such a wonderful idea other countries would be rushing to adopt it.

In a world with hundreds of countries only 13 have compulsory voting.... and those include Nauru, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and North Korea.

 

[ShanDog]

The problem with optional voting is that it emphasizes populism and single-issue campaigning. If the uninterested aren't required to vote, then the politicians pitching to the community for votes start talking to those further and further towards the ends of the political spectrum. In turn, it feeds back into the political management of the country and produces more populist and hyper-partisan politicians.

I don't know if this mirrors academic political theory, but I would suggest that compulsory voting is an effective form of soft protection against political polarisation. Given the state of politics in some other countries, I suggest it might be a good thing that we keep it.

 

[R Chee Manning]

I've said many times if compulsory voting was such a wonderful idea other countries would be rushing to adopt it.

In a world with hundreds of countries only 13 have compulsory voting.... and those include Nauru, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and North Korea.

Why did Australia adopt compulsory voting? Was it a legacy of it's penal past?

Did the Liberals (at the time) in Queensland worry that Labor was mobilising its union base to the extent that non-Labor supporters had to be forced to vote?

 

[Seeds]

I've said many times if compulsory voting was such a wonderful idea other countries would be rushing to adopt it.

In a world with hundreds of countries only 13 have compulsory voting.... and those include Nauru, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and North Korea.

Why would other countries rush to adopt it if it was a good thing? Do you know how politics work?

Having elections on weekends is a good thing yet neither the US or UK do it.

 

[Patrick Bullet]

I've said many times if compulsory voting was such a wonderful idea other countries would be rushing to adopt it.

It's a wonderful idea for some people but not others. Unfortunately, the others are the ones who get to call all the shots.

 

[R Chee Manning]

The problem with optional voting is that it emphasizes populism and single-issue campaigning. If the uninterested aren't required to vote, then the politicians pitching to the community for votes start talking to those further and further towards the ends of the political spectrum. In turn, it feeds back into the political management of the country and produces more populist and hyper-partisan politicians.

I don't know if this mirrors academic political theory, but I would suggest that compulsory voting is an effective form of soft protection against political polarisation. Given the state of politics in some other countries, I suggest it might be a good thing that we keep it.

Eight PMs in 10 years and you're preaching to the rest of the world to adopt your system.

Guess what?

Most voters are in the centre.

They are in the centre regardless of whether you have compulsory voting or not.

To suggest 'if the uninterested aren't required to vote, then the politicians pitching to the community for votes start talking to those further and further towards the ends of the political spectrum' is very much an Australian perspective which can't be applied to other countries.

In New Zealand it's the uninterested who are on the edges... the engaged are in the middle. Both the Labour Party and the National Party pitch to the middle. Same happens in the UK. Same happens even in America believe it or not. The GOP is not a fringe party... neither are the Dems.

 

[ShanDog]

Eight PMs in 10 years and you're preaching to the rest of the world to adopt your system.

Guess what?

Most voters are in the centre.

They are in the centre regardless of whether you have compulsory voting or not.

To suggest 'if the uninterested aren't required to vote, then the politicians pitching to the community for votes start talking to those further and further towards the ends of the political spectrum' is very much an Australian perspective which can't be applied to other countries.

In New Zealand it's the uninterested who are on the edges... the engaged are in the middle. Both the Labour Party and the National Party pitch to the middle. Same happens in the UK. Same happens even in America believe it or not. The GOP is not a fringe party... neither are the Dems.

I'm not preaching anything to any other countries. I was specifically talking about ours. You might want to revisit the state of play in the USA. The political divide has been growing towards the fringes for years. There is another thread where this was discussed recently with research supporting that. Jump on social media (where a huge proportion of political advocacy happens) and you'll see it magnified to ridiculous levels. The trend is clear.

 

[A Cut Above]

The problem with optional voting is that it emphasizes populism and single-issue campaigning. If the uninterested aren't required to vote, then the politicians pitching to the community for votes start talking to those further and further towards the ends of the political spectrum. In turn, it feeds back into the political management of the country and produces more populist and hyper-partisan politicians.

I don't know if this mirrors academic political theory, but I would suggest that compulsory voting is an effective form of soft protection against political polarisation. Given the state of politics in some other countries, I suggest it might be a good thing that we keep it.

The flip side is the major parties don't need to work as hard to earn our votes, since they know we're all literally forced to vote and a high proportion of us will vote for one major party or another regardless of how underwhelming the candidates they provide are.

So while compulsory voting discourages polarization, it probably also makes it harder for minor parties to gain traction since Labor & Liberal don't need to capture the enthusiasm of the electorate to win votes, whereas if voting were not compulsory and overall voting numbers were proportionally lower, minor players could capture seats with fewer overall votes without having to spend millions on political advertising like the big boys.

 

[Vindicater]

What difference does my vote make?

Let's not get all sentimental about things...

Most people couldn't be bothered...

What a simplistic and selfish view.

Of course your vote matters.

 

[R Chee Manning]

What a simplistic and selfish view.

Of course your vote matters.

No.

This whole notion of 'every vote counts' is a fallacy.


Tell me the last election that was decided by my vote? Or any vote?

 

[Vindicater]

No.

This whole notion of 'every vote counts' is a fallacy.


Tell me the last election that was decided by my vote? Or any vote?

Selfish and simplistic as I said.

 

[R Chee Manning]

Selfish and simplistic as I said.

But it's true. Most people are realistic and pragmatic.

Our eyes are not glazed over with some jingoistic view that somehow casting a vote is doing our country the greatest service ever.

Climb down off your pedestal mate...

People fought for this country. They lost their lives.

Your little effort at the ballot box pales into insignificance sorry to say.

 

[Vindicater]

But it's true. Most people are realistic and pragmatic.

Our eyes are not glazed over with some jingoistic view that somehow casting a vote is doing our country the greatest service ever.

Climb down off your pedestal mate...

People fought for this country. They lost their lives.

Your little effort at the ballot box pales into insignificance sorry to say.

You just compared a democratic process to ensure everybody has a say in the running of this country to defending this country. Of course it pales in insignificance.

I assume because you don't want to vote that you also never complain about anything the government does?

 

[R Chee Manning]

I assume because you don't want to vote that you also never complain about anything the government does?

So complaining about the government is some kind of privilege and right we should all aspire to? Is that why we vote? So we can complain?

WOW. Love the Australian mentality. Vote so you can complain.

 

[AbrahamS]

So complaining about the government is some kind of privilege and right we should all aspire to? Is that why we vote? So we can complain?

WOW. Love the Australian mentality. Vote so you can complain.

Moreso if you don't vote STFU and accept everything they do I suspect.

 

[Taylor]

I think that ending compulsory voting will result in the party that can scare better being elected as a moderate party with reasonable but milquetoast positions will be "meh" and supporters won't bother showing up.

Greens and one nation votes go up. Major parties get whacked with half their voters not showing up.

Never again will we have any government policy that harms any group of people over 30,000 in the nation else they risk them turning out in droves to vote out the government.

And that's the key point for Australia. We don't vote in governments, we vote them out and get what's left.

 

[Cuzz09]

It may be compulsary but I can guarantee you there are thousands of "unused" votes where people just get their name ticked off

On SM-G925I using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Taylor]

What if voting wasn't something you were entitled to until you had enough invested in the nation? That threshold could be a long debate, and rightly so, as without national discussion it would probably end up being the same as the list of people who could witness a signature.

Except like a nurse if you were to do something that would question your character it would void your voting rights.

There are lots of options but I think our current one is the safest. Very little changes quickly here because the weight of the giant mass who pay zero attention sits on any sort of revolution, holding us where we are and that's good because there's no guarantee a change will be better.

 

[Taylor]

It may be compulsary but I can guarantee you there are thousands of "unused" votes where people just get their name ticked off

On SM-G925I using BigFooty.com mobile app

There'll be lots of people who write 1,2,3,5,6 and void it too by accident.

Back when you could put a one in the box and leave it the system was very simple.

 

[R Chee Manning]

It may be compulsary but I can guarantee you there are thousands of "unused" votes where people just get their name ticked off

On SM-G925I using BigFooty.com mobile app

Great system...

 

[R Chee Manning]

There'll be lots of people who write 1,2,3,5,6 and void it too by accident.

Back when you could put a one in the box and leave it the system was very simple.

I'm pretty sure donkey votes are counted as legit votes and aren't informal.