Dnarever wrote on Aug 1^st, 2010 at 9:13am:


That means that it's mandatory to vote, but optional whether or not you allocate preferences.

FD - How to vote cards promote flock mentality. If you want to vote  for our party then follow the instructions on who to allocate preferences to.

Some people can easily be persuaded that if you mix and match preferences, you're not voting properly. It's a form of coercion.

I never collect how to vote cards.

freediver wrote on Aug 1^st, 2010 at 11:43am:


Well no - I didn't actually say that anybody was being denied the right to vote. I am saying that people are being coerced into making certain preferences and towing the party line for the reasons I gave earlier.

I'd prefer it if politicians and their support workers were not permitted to distribute how to vote cards, but I state that as a personal opinion only.

freediver wrote on Aug 1^st, 2010 at 8:02pm:


I can live with How to Vote Cards, but I find them irritating. Is that clearer?

I just think that they unduly pressurize voters into voting in a particular way (re allocation of preferences)

Yeah - if you prefer to split hairs, perhaps 'compromised' is a more accurate reflection of how I think rather than infringed.

Reading what some ex-politicians like Downer, Latham and others had to say about Rudd, and the language they use and apparently the so called pious Rudd uses, the democracy is rather on shaky grounds.
Then again, read recently, 'The tyranny of a Prince in a Oligarchy is not as dangerous to society as the apathy of the voters in a Democracy.

Great news:

Anna Bligh may dump optional preferential system as LNP accuses her of trying to rig poll

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/anna-bligh-may-dump-optional-preferential-system-as-lnp-accuses-her-of-trying-to-rig-poll/story-e6freoof-1225943913346

ANNA Bligh has sought advice on whether informal voting is on the rise in a clear sign she is mounting the case to dump Queensland's optional preferential system.

The Premier yesterday revealed she had asked Attorney-General Cameron Dick to assess whether confusion over different voting systems was driving a growing number of informal votes.

Her comments sparked instant condemnation from the Liberal Nationals, who accused Ms Bligh of attempting to "rig" the next state election.

But Ms Bligh said the Australian Electoral Commission had raised concerns after the federal election about the high number of informal votes in Queensland compared with other states. She said she wanted to ascertain whether this had increased when compared to past elections.

"That is what I have asked for the advice on," she said.

"Are we seeing a growing confusion that is leading to this, not just at the last election which has prompted the comments, but over the last few elections?

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"Is this a growing trend? And if it is I don't think we can ignore it."

Queensland has an optional preferential voting system, allowing voters to mark only the box for the candidate they want or allocate preferences.

However, allocating preferences is compulsory at a federal election.

There was concern raised after the recent federal election that informal voting spiked in Queensland when state and federal elections were held close to each other.

Ms Bligh said it was not in the interests of democracy for people's votes to be wasted because of confusion between the two systems.

Labor in Queensland has long profited from the optional preferential system since it was introduced in the 1990s, particularly under former premier Peter Beattie's "Just Vote 1" strategy.

However, with the Greens polling at record numbers, the optional system could cost Ms Bligh seats at the next election.

Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek said Labor had decided to rig the electoral sys-tem because it was out of ideas.

"The Premier's cute and evasive words and her silly games on this issue confirm that Labor has embarked on a path to try and rig the next state election," he said.

Mr Beattie has recently advocated for all voting systems to be optional preferential so people are not effectively forced to vote for candidates they don't want.