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dotti34 · 03-11-2013, 08:18

Have been reading all the comments re compulsory voting and thought I'd put my pennysworth in for what it's worth, even though my comments don't apply to the U.K. Thought you might be interested to know that in Australia voting IS compulsory. If it wasn't there would be a lot of people who wouldn't bother to go to the polling booths because they feel one side is as bad as the other. All promises until they get in and then.....
At the last Federal Election quite a number of disillusioned voters tended to vote for alternative parties as a protest. Bit of a shambles. Have to vote or pay a fine, not very democratic.
Compulsory voting doesn't make for a better Government. Maybe if it wasn't compulsory here then politicians would have to really prove themselves to warrant receiving votes from an otherwise disillusioned public.
Btw, voting is not compulsory re Local Government and not many people bother to vote - even though Councils send out voting papers complete with a reply paid envelope. The result is a bit pathetic really.

03-11-2013, 08:18	#15
dotti34 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,189 Blog Entries: 80 Liked: 1480 times Rep Power: 833512	Re: Russell Brand champion of the people? Have been reading all the comments re compulsory voting and thought I'd put my pennysworth in for what it's worth, even though my comments don't apply to the U.K. Thought you might be interested to know that in Australia voting IS compulsory. If it wasn't there would be a lot of people who wouldn't bother to go to the polling booths because they feel one side is as bad as the other. All promises until they get in and then..... At the last Federal Election quite a number of disillusioned voters tended to vote for alternative parties as a protest. Bit of a shambles. Have to vote or pay a fine, not very democratic. Compulsory voting doesn't make for a better Government. Maybe if it wasn't compulsory here then politicians would have to really prove themselves to warrant receiving votes from an otherwise disillusioned public. Btw, voting is not compulsory re Local Government and not many people bother to vote - even though Councils send out voting papers complete with a reply paid envelope. The result is a bit pathetic really.