I think if we had a true democratic system, such as Switzerland, then ALL Australian people would become much more actively engaged in politics. In Switzerland, with Citizens Initiated Referenda (CIR) laws and policies are initiated from the people up, rather than imposed down on them from elected 'representatives'. Elections and the voting public have zero say in what happens in this country, and have not done so for decades. It is not just 'young people' who feel uneasy about the situation, most people are vaguely aware that there is something fundamentally wrong with a system that effectively disenfrachises the majority with an illusionary cloak of 'representation'. If we had CIR, public disinterest would be mobilised to such an extent those toxic, vomit swilling, swamp dwelling, bottom feeders calling themselves 'politicians' would be hard pushed to get jobs at Burger King.

<< EJ, I’d love to know just how many people made their voting intentions perfectly clear but had their vote annulled because they failed to number every square. >>

I'd love to know too! It's very hard to tell though, how many people's incomplete ballots are due to not realising they need to number every square to be counted vs sending a message that some parties are not worthy of even their lowest preference. Would probably require a researcher to actually phone poll people post-election asking if they numbered every box, and if not why not? Perhaps Newspoll or Galaxy could do it?

What tripe. Nicely written, but still tripe. You should stop trying to project your thoughts onto the thoughtless masses, you'll give yourself a headache.

The reason these kids aren't on the roll is they are too slack to bother. The country will be well served the longer these pot & grog addled fools stay off it. A good argument for optional voting, & a better one for increasing the voting age by ten years or so.

Those who submit a blank paper are making no statement, other than they were too slack to look at our situation, & make a decision. The if in doubt do nowt brigade. They are probably sorry they let someone talk them into enrolling.

Your deep analysis of what youth consider important is a bit overblown too. What the change reflects is what was talked about on some current affairs program in the last few days. Surely you are not trying to kid us the youth of today can hold a thought for more than a few hours, or days for the more intelligent ones.

Well that goes for half of them, the others might be OK, with a bit of coaching & discipline.

I think the author is too pessimistic, and that things have always been much the same. I remember being interviewed before my first vote in 1961 (a referendum to abolish the Legislative Council) and saying:

"I really don't know how to vote. Should I vote "NO" and demonstrate to the mugs in the lower house how little I trust them, or vote "YES" and seize the opportunity of getting rid of 40 politicians at a blow?"

Again, the author should be comforted by the expected surge in religion over the next week. (The electoral Act provides that in the event that you fail to vote, and are sent a request to provide the "TRUE REASON" for your failure, and you reply that you did not vote because it is against your religion, the Act states that that answer shall be taken as conclusive, and no further action will be taken.

The attitude toward elections is not new. Some old adages are:

The tragedy of elections is that the only way you can get rid of the government is to elect the opposition.

Don't vote, it only encourages them.

Being an optimist, I live in hope that one day a party will come up with a program compatible with basic Australian principles, such as:

1. The government is the enemy of the people.

2. No taxation with or without representation, with any deficiency in government finances being covered by the sale of politicians' assets.

3. The main problem with elections is that no matter whom you vote for, a POLITICIAN is ALWAYS elected.

4. ALWAYS vote NO in referendums.

Oh Hasbeen, come on now.
I reckon E.J is right, but it's not just young people who've decided that politics is irrelevant, I'm 46 and it's just as meaningless to me as it is to my kids. I can't listen to them, like physically can't tolerate them anymore, when a recap of the Bowen and Hockey debate came on the radio this afternoon I switched it off and drove home in silence.
I don't know what their policies are and I don't care, it's nothing to do with me anyway, all I have to look forward to is working until I'm at least 70 or 75 or until I'm incapacitated, whichever comes first, that's what's occupying my mind.

Hi EJ,
It only takes 10-15 minutes every 3 years ,to use the preferential system and number on the Senate ballot paper the 110 candidates below the line .
Not a big ask compared to having half one's face or ovaries blown-off in Afghanistan.

By doing this , you can send the only message to the major parties, that they respect .

Every major problem we face from housing, university funding, child neglect, jails, environment, manufacturing collapse, casualization of the workforce, selling public assets, massive public/private borrowings, traffic chaos, growing poverty, social security blow-outs.....(.very happy to dialogue the back stories on all this)...is made catastrophically worse by one design blunder..................POPULATION GROWTH .

By preferencing the STABLE POPULATION PARTY first, then your major party second ( after that, just do the numbering because it won't matter ), we have a chance to turn the place around.

The positive message is that we have designed the mess in, so we can design it out .

Very best EJ ,

Ralph