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The Forum > Article Comments > Fixing the vote > Comments

Fixing the vote : Comments

By Brett Walker, published 7/9/2007

Compulsory voting is bad enough so let’s at least make the act of voting fair and transparent.

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Answer to that question Paul L is no. There have been enough voters go through school and learn about the system for the majority to know about the importance of voting. Everyone has contact with the media or people who have contact with the media so there is no excuse that they do not know about an election or when it is to be held. There can be no excuse that they do not know about the issues.
There is no excuse whatsoever for the 'compulsory voting' system. There would be no excuse even if the electoral roll was accurate and there really was one vote per person.
It is up to people to vote. If they do not vote then they cannot complain.
Compulsion to attend the ballot box makes for lazy, careless, ill-informed voters who take little interest in politics and end up thinking that what they are told must be true because "X" said it.
Posted by Communicat, Saturday, 8 September 2007 8:13:25 AM
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Not so sure about that Communicat. We're interested in Oz Politics but I suggest that many people don't give a 'fat rats' about it. Pollies on the most part rate very low on trust. Just a bit below journos and used car salesmen.

We don't want ala the USA where 30-40 percent of elligible voting population elect the Government.

I do take your point that people might just 'tick n flick' or donkey on election day but my thinking is that 90 percent of people vote historically, ie, 'I've always voted ALP therefore', etc, etc. That's not set in concrete though as we saw with Howard in 96 as he carved in to Labors heartland.

It's those swingers who walk in and decide who'll rule the roost. They're open to argument as per discussions like this one. They make have historical preferences but they're not strong.

Those swingers would probably vote whether it was compulsory or not.

The case for removing compulsory voting hitting the ALP was strong (or I should say was reasonably strong) in the 60s and 70s when the party did its own polling. I can't produce definitive data post Keating. That would make a good study.
Posted by Cheryl, Saturday, 8 September 2007 1:07:10 PM
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compulsary voting hmm

Lets take away the money for votes and see what happens

this is the only reason it is really there so labor and liberal can spend millions and not go broke.
Posted by tapp, Saturday, 8 September 2007 1:27:32 PM
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Plerdsus, Paul L,

Thanks, I'm not sure, however, that many people still vote on the old class lines, whether or not it's due to the Howard effect. I favour voluntary voting in principle, pushing the apathetic to the polls does more harm than good, especially in Constitutional referendums. Paul L - I agree, a few terms of voluntary voting might result in more informed voters. Better a government elected by 51% of an interested 60% of the total electorate under a voluntary system than 51% of 90% in compulsory voting, anyone who has to be compelled to vote has no business voting.
Posted by mac, Saturday, 8 September 2007 3:05:52 PM
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Every now and then we get some spiv or lazy stooopid coming out with this unimaginative promotion of arguments for the "uninterested, the indifferent, the gullible and ignorant" with a need to consider voluntary voting. By simply and arrogantly promoting apathy herein we will find the crux of the democracy deficit.

Under compulsory voting, every vote is a quality vote that reflects very much a democratic responsibility and the necessary discipline. Perhaps it is not by accident that this article, ignores democratic responsibility and discipline in favour of dumbo ideas of arrogant manipulation that obvious lead to discrimination, then full blown discrimination, then to the reality that is the US of A with obviously rigged elections.

With regard to voluntary voting may I suggest to Brett Walker that *"to do nothing is to live in denial and accept the lie of our "existence". To sit in silent complacency is to welcome the domination over our lives. The failure to act is an act in failure, and a warm embrace to an unmitigated corruption befalling humankind."

*I believe someone important said this.
Posted by Keiran, Sunday, 9 September 2007 8:00:17 AM
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Fencepost,

It is not correct to say that the system “is a bit unfair if [you] get [your] preferred candidate, because [you] then also get 0.5 of [your] second preference” because it is not you who are your second preference – it is a group of voters. It is better to think of yourself as a member of a group. The group does not need all the votes so rather than having some members’ votes wasted, they are passed to the next choice.

The single transferable vote is the mots democratic system in the world, because it allows the individual voter to express preferences in any order at all. If you are a committed Labor voter, you can put the No. 2 Labor candidate ahead of the No. 1 Labor candidate. If you want, you can give your first vote to the No. 2 Green and your second preference to the No. 3 Liberal. It is totally your choice. That is why the idea of changing the system to having only preferences above the line is less democratic. That would mean that the parties would choose the candidates and you would have absolutely no say in the choice of individual candidates.

It is true that most voters do not use the system, but Tasmanian voters do – because they have had it for over a century. It is often the case in Tasmanian elections that a member of one party will get kicked out and replaced by a member of another party.

The current above-the-line voting gives voters the choice of following their parties’ preference allocation. It does not force them to do so. Everyone is free to number the candidates below the line.
Posted by Chris C, Sunday, 9 September 2007 1:05:39 PM
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