"Max Demian" wrote in message
...
On 13/05/2018 20:28, Rod Speed wrote:


"Max Demian" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 13/05/2018 11:56, Rod Speed wrote:
Jeff Layman wrote
Rod Speed wrote

And since I stopped working for the govt I have avoided being on
the electoral role so I dont have to vote given voting is compulsory
here so maybe thats why I havent been called since. Tho its more
likely they dont track who stops working for the govt or something.

I thought that it was compulsory to be on the electoral role in Oz.

In theory it is, but in practice its completely unenforceable.

Over here, we have to complete a form (once a year IIRC) asking who at
the address the form has been sent to is eligible to vote, or is about
to become eligible to vote (by their age).

They used to have someone show up every couple of years and ask
who lives there, but that hasnt happened for over a decade now.

And when they left the card, I just ignored that.

They did send me letters for a while demanding an answer
with threats about what would happen if I didnt answer but
I just ignored them and dont even get the letters anymore.

Failure to complete and return the form (to the local council) is an
offence.

It is here too, but they have no way of enforcing that.

I can't say that I've ever understood the reason behind the Oz law for
compulsory voting.

Its always been one of those controversys.

Do they think it gives some legitimacy to the voting process?

They rightly believe that while ever its compulsory, more will bother
to vote.

When I was still on the roll, I just said I was sick that day when they
demanded to know why I hadn't voted and nothing happened when I did.

Apparently now they can fine you anyway, most
obviously when you say that with every election.

Mind you, $20 is a small price to pay for avoiding to vote for the
bunch of crooks you have over there.

Thats only the penalty for not voting in a federal election.
Its $55 with state and local govt elections in my state.

Over here, it would have to be at least twice as much...

Its more than that here. $124 in South Australia.

Can you vote for "none of the above" or spoil your paper?

That is spoiling your paper and you are also free to not mark
the paper at all, just put the blank one in the ballot box.

I would put an X in every box or someone else might vote on my behalf.

No point here, the candidates have their own scrutineers
who watch the counting of the votes so they would see
anyone who was filling in blank ballots for theirs.

But that does involve doing something like show up at a
polling booth or do a postal vote. We are free to use any
polling booth we like, but its a complete waste of time
if you dont want to vote and so I do it the other way.

I can see some value in making people go through the motions of voting,

Yeah, presumably some who are forced to show up at the
polling booth will actually bother to vote for someone.

unless apathy is regarded as a democratic right in itself.

Main problem with compulsory voting is that plenty have
no interest in politics etc and dont take any notice of the
political news and its very arguable if it makes any sense
for them to be made to vote.

And there is a real tendency for people like that to just
vote for any name they recognise which means that
you can get some well known people get voted for even
tho hardly anyone knows what they are for policy wise.

Corse with the party system, it hardly ever matters what they
are for policy wise, its the party that decides what happens
even if that individual does get elected and their party is
the govt.