Have you been the one who waits after the voting to see the votes counted?
Standing together all party's are represented or mostly, and under strict rules.
It is our job to challenge some votes see some of ours are counted and ring in ASAP so those board back at the counting room roll over.
But we ring our party's that is how they get the information just in front of the board.
So what happens to those votes the silly ones?
They end up on the floor ,well stay on the counter but are never counted.
Like the two who election after election say ALP one rest nothing, their vote is wasted.
And those that question the wedding of politicians mum and dad? never to be seen by them.
Some vote for strange non existent things ,you can tell some time as they leave with silly grins on their faces.
Last election I helped the greens newby who was lost count and report, of worth? every one leaves shoulder to shoulder No blood no hate we Aussie are indeed Weird and great mob.

Maybe some would be able to tell storys about manning the booths on election day.
To tell of my one night of counting at my local booth I must start at first light.
I set the booth up and manned it on my own all day 140 voters, about 40 to my mob a nationals seat but swings back and fourth,that day it swung back to Labor.
Small town self centered and not overly welcoming to outsiders like me,that may change in time after all I have only lived here 26 years.
Put the HTV down and entered the front door to vote little old lady handed me her national HTV and screamed at me hope you lost!
On returning to my stand her high heels rang out as she ran down the footpath to say it over and again.
That night nice young girl?daughter of the above, who had been an official all day on the roll said the same during counting, very much more in fact.
Head of that voting place said nothing he was teacher at the school the * nice Lady's* could harm him.
I go now to red neck country a long way from home, but grin at the memory every time I see them.
Actually got a job for the grandson of one but refused invitations to get to know them.
Got smacked in the head by an angry millionair in 07 thats another story.

Keep up the scrutineering Belly, must admit it is something I have never attended but see the significance of doing it when I consider the best quote to why we need scrutineers is from dear old uncle Joe...

"It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything."

Good on you Belly for being involved with the scrutineering process.

I disagree with your comments about wasted votes though. Votes that are deliberately nullified are not wasted. If they reflect the intention of the voter to not vote for any candidate, they should be considered legitimate. Votes that are unintentionally voided are the only ones that are wasted.

I wonder what you’d call votes that count for candidates that the voter really doesn’t like but feels compelled to vote for because they feel they are the slightly better of two terrible choices? I’d say they would be more allied to wasted votes than legitimate votes!

Then there are votes that count for candidates that the voter specifically had not voted for, but due to our compulsory preferential system, ends up voting for once preferences have filtered down. These votes are the worst of all, because they are STOLEN by a corrupt and reprehensible voting system!

Ludwig and others.
While it is assumed every one has the 'right(?)'(choice) to deliberately ruin their vote.

Having decided not to participate in their one chance to pass their opinion I do wish they would respect the 'right'(choice) of others who do.

I do particularly dislike those people that Belly describes.

Personally I see the 'spoilers' to be the biggest hypercrites in that they don't have the courage of their convictions to get up off their self indulgent butts to change what is wrong.

Common sense dictates that the very nature of a democratic society needs the participation of its citizens to have any hope of working properly. Those that willing opt out are simply putting their interests above that of the country. Further to that I don't think that a couple of hours every three years to formally help the country that supports them, is much to ask.

L, I am in the invidious position you describe forced to vote against what, I believe, is an inappropriate member rather than having a meaningful choice.

I would also point out that I have worked locally to improve the choice. I would never simply take my bat/ ball because the majority doesn't want to play the game I want and go home, sulking.

Doing nothing is a destructive/ churlish choice.

I detest the party system but for what ever reason that is the system the majority aren't pi$$ed off enough to change so for the greater good I play along, while trying to change it. Work with what is not what *I* want.

Examinator,

I have voted in every election since I became eligible to vote.

Nevertheless, I have come to a point in this election where I can see no good reason to give my lower house vote to either party. Quite frankly, if this media driven, self-interested mumbo jumbo is the best that our democracy can give us, then I will not insult my intelligence any longer by playing the game.
The minute a party shows up that shows its worth by pointing our society in a more constructive and cooperative direction, I will be willing to listen.

You might be willing to vote for a candidate who doesn't represent your wishes just for the opportunity to exercise your right, but I'm not.