A bunch of inner city elitists thought that voting was pointless when the referendum to go or stay in the EU? Was conducted in Britain!

And wanted a new referendum when the will of the people narrowly represented a view not held by the dismissive abstainers!

Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but lost the college vote, due to the interference of Putin's Russia!

Working class people in the US are often denied a vote by ballots traditionally held on Thursday, a working day where time off is hard to get!

If it were held at the weekend, I believe there would have been a larger turnout of working class voters and less ability of the college vote to simply ignore the patently expressed will of the people!

At the end of the day all we the people have to effect change we can all believe in is at the ballot box! And as shown in Britain and the US, not rolling up to vote can have some unexpected, unwelcome circumstances!

Even so, some disgruntled minorities will always claim that voting is a waste of time!

Yes it clearly is, but only for those whose views don't reflect the wider majority! Or want to conflate something with something else!?

As those in Britain and the US found out, not turning up to vote can result in an outcome they never ever wanted! And wouldn't have got if they only bothered to vote!

It's the only time we the people have power! Use it and argue your case, to effect change we can all believe in! Like say, power for 2-3 cents PKH!
Alan B.

If politicians manipulate the electorate with such devices as compulsory voting, then it is reasonably safe to conclude, the benefits of the “dictate” will fall towards them!
In crude terms, it stinks like a dead rat!

Compulsory voting does not the educated make.

I would suggest, if compulsory voting was forced into redundancy, the uneducated electorate would be likewise forced into submission, by actually using democratic means, eg recent survey for ssm, with democratic outcomes!

As with the example of ssm survey, the stupid in the community, could be corralled with the usual politicians fibs, into believing “black was white”, giving democracy the edge over reason!

At present I sense the result might be either a Labor majority or a LNP minority. That is, a majority LNP government is unlikely.

Trad evidences much that is dysfunctional about the Palaszczuk Labor government and Labor should be turfed. Governments get voted out rather than oppositions winning. But in this case it is the Opposition that is being cold shouldered.

That means that the LNP has been performing very poorly in opposition, not that it has not shed a previous alleged sad image of Newman. It is not Newman's fault. The work is done well before, where voters can be lost if individual members are not active enough in the community. It is LNP members individually who have squandered the chance of a fresh approach based on their community's needs and expectations.

There is usually too much emphasis put on the conduct of election campaigns.

LeoJ

I agree in some part to your theory, but the theory does not stand up to scrutiny, when rusted-on voters are taken into account.

So how do we arrive at a figure to represent them?

But I may be an example that confirms your theory. I have already decided not to support my National Party rep. I contacted him about his public stand for pro Gay Marriage, and was met with stony silence. So I will now reciprocate in kind!

diver dan,

It is a State election but where the Nats are concerned their members and prospective voters have long memories where the party puts electoral convenience ahead of principle. That is where national as in federal affects State election voting.

You mentioned SSM and many voters would go along with you, along with others who remember that clown Ted Fischer, who has stuck his head up recently to rekindle the embers of hatred for his treachery under Howard. It all rebounds on the Nats.

On the other hand, conservative Labor members and there are many, seem much more reluctant to remind their arrogant leadership who is the master. That could change in a State election, where for instance the present premier has had such blatant disregard for public safety regarding the drug trafficking bikie gangs.