That is such a despicable aspect of our federal voting system. If you vote for PUP or KAP or any other minor party, it means that you specifically want to vote against both Lib and Lab. Well, that’d be the way of it for the vast majority.

But your vote will end up counting for either Lib or Lab, whichever you put higher in your list of preferences. And if you don’t preference either, your vote is VOIDED, because you’ve got to mark every square.

Such is the despicable totally antidemocratic compulsory preferential voting system!

So those who are pissed off with the Laborials really only have one course of action – to put in a null vote!

Sorry Clive, but even if you are a really good bloke with just the right sort of policies, I won’t be voting for ya because the system will STEAL my vote and make it count where I absolutely don’t want it to.

Ludwig,
I do not like our forced preferential system of voting either, because it is supported by the two major parties, as it favours them.

However I will not void my vote,I have to attend anyway. I will use it to give some support to the minor party, or independant, of my choice. Hopefully they will get sufficient votes to qualify for electoral funding and thus get my $2.00+ for the primary vote.

I know a major will end up with the vote, so I have to chose between dumb and dumber.

What else can one do?

Rechtub do you know every line in your last post proves you understand nothing?
Do you think this country, all of it, should become a one party system.
Or that my right to both hang my party,s wrongs out to dry, yet vote for them is un-Australian.
Do you butch think?
I am, hopefully, content to play my roll in reforming the great party that best fits my requirements, that is after Gillard leaves tail between her legs after defeat.
Unlike [thankfully] you I can see faults in my team while you just do not see much at all.
[any one else having to sign in every visit?]

Banjo, I have, many times, said our preferential voting system is broken.
One vote one value would serve most.
Minoritys thrive on this system.
Why can we not kill all second even third votes?
Do some even know they can vote in this failed way for their worst nightmare?

Banjo & Ludwig – I too share your frustration with the non-democratic disproportional Australian voting system and have long been an advocate for a proportional system.

It meets Belly’s requirements in that it gives one value for one vote.

You are not going to change the system by casting an invalid vote because that will only entrench the current system.

Clive said – “Section forty one of the constitution says every Australian will have the right to vote and having right to vote is having the right to choose.”

What needs to be done is to convince Clive and his cronies to include a change to proportional representation as one of their core policies. If the KAP and the Greens included it as a core policy as well it would further strengthen the case. They all would benefit from such a change.

I believe there is enough disillusioned Australians from all walks of life and political persuasion that there is a good chance of a hung parliament.

If we can hang the bastards we can change the system.

Below is a thread I started in March last year on proportional representation you may find of interest.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=5047#135467

I'm not convinced that the minor parties would benefit.

I generally vote for the Coalition. Not real happy with the current mob and especially their support for the badly broken family law/child support system (as well as a dissatisfaction on a number of issues).

I really don't want Labor back in. In summary if one of the majors is going to get in I'd rather the coalition than Labor. I suspect I'm not alone.

If I get the opportunity to vote for a credible minor party or a decent independent I may well do so giving my preference to the Libs. Little risk in that strategy even if the candidate I vote for does not get up.

If it's first past the post there is little chance that anyone other than the Lib would get that vote unless they had an extremely good chance of winning. If's between the two evils I consider the Libs the lesser of the evils.

I doubt that I'm alone in my overall thinking even if the choice about which major is the lesser of the evils differs.

R0bert