Thanks Brett Walker. It is excellent to see this article on the day before the election.

You and Latham a spot-on. Returning a blank ballot paper is to be highly recommended, for two very big reasons:

1. Neither major party deserves our vote.

2. The voting system is terribly flawed and just plain antidemocratic!

At last I have read a view aligned with what I have been saying for years: the compulsory preferential system is fundamentally flawed.

I would put it in stronger words than you have – I’d call it totally antidemocratic, a rort and a means of STEALING votes and making them count for major candidates in cases where voters have no intention of voting for them!

Why do we have this disgraceful system?

The optional preferential system, which has been proven to work perfectly well in Qld and NSW for many elections, should replace it. And until it does, we should return a blank ballot paper with ‘no to CPV, yes to OPV’ or something like that written on it!

Brett Walker:>> So until I am permitted to validly cast my ballot based on my true take on the relative worth of each candidate I am happy to have the Latham method at my disposal<<

Brett you pose some salient points, although I can't help feeling with this particular election your strategy is akin to turfing the baby with the bath water.

The outcome of his election is crucial for us as a nation if we want some control over our own destiny. Let’s consider the recent past; we had 4 terms of Hawke/Keating who left a debt of 90 billion, this amount is not unreasonable given the period it encompasses. Then 4 terms of Howard/Costello who paid back the 90 billion and left a surplus of 20 billion. Then in less than one term the Rudd/Swan government spent the 20 billion and borrowed over 100 billion.

Do not vote the Libs in, but vote "this" Labor govt out as they are incompetent ideologues that put their party before the people. Brett this election is not one that you can let go either way with the confidence that both parties are reasonable national economic managers, and social policy issues the only divide as in the past. This ruling govt is supremely incompetent to an extent never seen in this nation before and an informal vote or a vote for Labor limits the chance for Australia’s ongoing prosperity and quality of life in a real and impacting way.

So your thesis is, because people are lazy, and cant be bothered numbering below the line, that you wont either. Maybe ban above the line voting, so if anyone wants to vote, they have to do it properly. If they cant be bothered, their vote doesn't count.

I do agree though that ranking anything from 1-84 is not going to be a definitive expression of your desires. Humans can only accurately rank up to 10 things.

Try ranking your top 84 movies, with their different genres and actors and cinematography and scripts. It's just like attempting to rank 84 different parties with different policies and different people with different attributes.

It is possible that their wont be a winner if you don't have everyone filling in every box. They'd have to accept first past the post including preferences rather than a 'majority' of over 50% including preferences.

Arrghh, to correct my last post: Brett, you and Latham ARE spot-on!

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<< The outcome of his election is crucial for us as a nation if we want some control over our own destiny. >>

How do you figure that sonofgloin?

The two liblabs are so damn similar to each other that it makes a complete mockery of this election and of the notion of democratic choice!

Ohhhh, if only the Greens had better-developed their policies on sustainability, or the Stable Population Party had got their act together in time for this election and given us poor voters a real choice between heading for a healthy future or continuing down the road to ruin!

Ohhhhhh….if only (;>(

The worst outcome of the compulsory-voting system is donkey-votes. Compulsory preferences come next. In fact, compulsory-anything is bad, which is why I vote for the LDP, that stands for freedom to individuals.

For those who plan to make a random donkey vote, by leaving your ballot papers blank you can do a great act of kindness toward those for whom the election-results really and badly matter, often in a very personal way.

So long as attending a polling-booth is still compulsory, I suggest adding a box to the ballot-papers where you mark "how important is this election to me" on a scale of 0-10, then your vote is weighted accordingly. If your heart is bleeding - tick a 10, if you like no party and only want to protest - tick a 0, if unsure tick a 5.

I disagree Gloin- some people were to sincerely feel Labor reflects their beliefs (how I don't know, but play along) then they would not be inclined to vote Liberal for the benefit of the country.
If a person supported neither, and was a secular conservative voter- that basically excludes them from the entire party scene.

I feel voting blank is perfectly valid if there are no candidates to correspond to your beliefs.