Really interesting, thank you. As I say, I’m undecided. Part of me thinks it’s an illiberal and heavy-handed measure; another part feels it’s not a massive imposition as part of the political contract.
Don't think that's how most voters see it. They want decent public services, modicum of safety and security, and to be left alone. They aren't interested or care or have time to do much else. It's up to politicians, who volunteer, to behave lawfully, ethically and in a civilised fashion. And to impose these ideals around them. If they fail and get caught. Tough.
A comment on 'compulsory voting' by one subject to it.
Compulsory voting would be a terrible imposition if it did not include three or four provisions, the first three of which do prevail in Australia, where I live under such a regime.
The three essential provisions are:
(1) The penalties for not casting a ballot are small.
(2) It is easy to honestly avoid voting without penalty. (In Australia, you could arrange with a friend to meet you on the way to the polling booth just before closing time, and for your friend to answer your query as to his health with some answer consistent with deep depression, so that you take your friend to drink coffee because there is a justified cause for concern for his welfare -- and so the polling booth is closed by the time you've finished your conversation. I don't imagine anyone has gone to lengths such as this so as to have an honest excuse for failing to vote, but such scenarios are at least possible to arrange.)
(3) It is easy to cast an informal vote. (Jehovah Witnesses and others who refuse to vote for a candidate regularly cast an informal ballot in Australia.)
A fourth provision would make 'compulsory voting' quite satisfactory, imo :--
(4) Voters should be able in some way to indicate their dissatisfaction with all candidates. (In the australian ballot, this could be done by having NO CANDIDATE appear at the end of the list of candidates. If 'No Candidate' was elected, then the seat would be vacant, at least until a bye-election some months later.)
Really interesting, thank you. As I say, I’m undecided. Part of me thinks it’s an illiberal and heavy-handed measure; another part feels it’s not a massive imposition as part of the political contract.
Don't think that's how most voters see it. They want decent public services, modicum of safety and security, and to be left alone. They aren't interested or care or have time to do much else. It's up to politicians, who volunteer, to behave lawfully, ethically and in a civilised fashion. And to impose these ideals around them. If they fail and get caught. Tough.
A comment on 'compulsory voting' by one subject to it.
Compulsory voting would be a terrible imposition if it did not include three or four provisions, the first three of which do prevail in Australia, where I live under such a regime.
The three essential provisions are:
(1) The penalties for not casting a ballot are small.
(2) It is easy to honestly avoid voting without penalty. (In Australia, you could arrange with a friend to meet you on the way to the polling booth just before closing time, and for your friend to answer your query as to his health with some answer consistent with deep depression, so that you take your friend to drink coffee because there is a justified cause for concern for his welfare -- and so the polling booth is closed by the time you've finished your conversation. I don't imagine anyone has gone to lengths such as this so as to have an honest excuse for failing to vote, but such scenarios are at least possible to arrange.)
(3) It is easy to cast an informal vote. (Jehovah Witnesses and others who refuse to vote for a candidate regularly cast an informal ballot in Australia.)
A fourth provision would make 'compulsory voting' quite satisfactory, imo :--
(4) Voters should be able in some way to indicate their dissatisfaction with all candidates. (In the australian ballot, this could be done by having NO CANDIDATE appear at the end of the list of candidates. If 'No Candidate' was elected, then the seat would be vacant, at least until a bye-election some months later.)
Martin in Queensland
If you can't be arsed to vote you loose right to whinge complain moan and birch.