On 05/22/11 07:30 pm, The Daring Dufas wrote:


snip

Yes, you're right. We get very low turnouts over here too. They just
can't be bothered.

Voting everywhere should be compulsory, just as it is in Australia. One
can still turn in a blank ballot paper, or one can scrawl obscenities on
it, but at least one has to show up.

It would make for some interesting headlines and jailhouse chats.

"What are you in for?"
"I refused to vote"
"Whoa dude that's rough, I wouldn't even dream of doing that."

SWAT TEAM IN DAYLONG SHOOTOUT WITH NONVOTERS, 14 KILLED INCLUDING 2 COPS

Neighbors never dreamed they were living next door to such
anti government subversives.

I no longer live in Australia, but the only case of which I heard in
which someone was jailed in connection with a failure to vote was when a
man was hauled into court for multiple failures to show up at a polling
place and he told the judge that the whole thing was a farce. He was
jailed for contempt of court, not for failure to vote. AFAIR, the only
penalties for failing to vote (and for failing to register to vote) are
monetary fines.

Perce