The downside to optional voting that the Americans complain about is that a huge amount of funding is spent on trying to encourage voters to register, then vote.

They even bus them to voting booths.

So while we complain about the amount of money spent on elections and by various lobby groups and semi-official parties (as a means to spend even more, with no source of funding having to be identified - like Getup!) it would be worse, possibly if the money was diluted by having to bolstor the actual number of voters.

So instead of having all the paid political advertising on policy and various scare campaigns, we'd have to sit through ads trying to get interest in voting - so in effect, 2 campaigns at once.

Should people vote, only if they are interested, should the be coerced with rewards for voting, no .. but the temptation is there.

Congressional districts in the US are up to their ears in deals for voting lobbies and interest groups.

It is far worse there than here, most Americans I know would much prefer compulsory voting, and remove the campaigning for the disinterested.

Oh, and I believe Malcolm was Minister for Army, but otherwise agree with hazza that he is an old criminal who is trying to remake the image history has of him .. bloody unlikely!

While I have always sided with the optional vote, I still found the elitist attitude expressed in this article rather objectionable.
I have several friends who came to Australia from the UK or New Zealand. Most of them are highly intelligent and have high paying jobs. One was at one time an assistant town clerk, and is now fairly high up in Canberra, in the Tax Office (although I don't hold it against him).
All of these people avoided becoming naturalised Australians, largely because it enabled them to avoid voting.
You don't have to be under educated or apathetic to be disenchanted with the Australian political system.
Personally I think the best reason for optional voting is that when our Masters tell us to “eat cake”, the rampage will hopefully be to the voting booths (should a working class hero arise), instead of the streets.
Compulsory voting has done nothing but entrench the status quo, and synthesise the major parties into squabbling for the centre court.
PS, although I remember Fraser as an arrogant, ruthless and thoroughly dislikeable PM, he was never a redneck; at least in any racial sense.

Excellent suggestion. "Bogans" don't bother to vote. We should go further and award extra votes for people who have earned them. There should be much more value for instance in a vote by a university graduate than one just freed from Boggo Road.
Extra votes could be earned by getting a university degree, an award from the state (AO etc), paying much more than the average in taxes, giving employment and perhaps for any other recognizable success in life.
Surely this would improve the standard of behavior and policy making for both the Govt and the opposition, where currently they tend to play to the lowest common denominator. No one can say this would be a bad thing.

"Excellent suggestion. "Bogans" don't bother to vote."
Now there's an intelligent argument against compulsory voting.

I should also point out that Canada, New Zealand, and virtually every single country on the European mainland save Lichenstein do not force people to vote, (and if you want to count it, one out of Switzerland's 26 cantons- leaving 25 that do not);
And only 2 other countries have compulsory voting that is not forced (Belgium and Greece).

I'd say that is evidence enough that these countries are running perfectly fine.

In fact, they're actually a lot more active in policymaking than we are- and it may well be that the people voting in these elections are voting because they specifically want a party endorsing their preferred policy, and thus the parties actually have to stand for something and expect to do something; here disgruntled voters pick the 'least worst' of two majors and surprise- our parties are racing to the bottom- knowing that they do not have to do anything at all so long as their PR doesn't fall behind the opposition.

So again- bring on Optional Voting.

The reasons against it are minor and absurd, while the positives would be practical and substantial.

Dickybird:

“No one can say this would be a bad thing”….if it wouldn’t ….

…Maintain the entrenched role of elitism in Australian politics, and, as a consequence promote the anarchist (Bogan) cause. All citizens to the ramparts (with a Greek flag) please!