Captain Nemo wrote on May 14^th, 2019 at 12:10pm:


That's right, they'd be ill-informed rusted-on Labor party voters, and it's why we need to go back to voluntary voting

Voting is Compulsory
•
The
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
, under section 245(1), states:
”It shall be the duty of every elector to vote at each election”.
•
Under the Electoral Act, the actual duty of the elector is to attend a polling
place, have their name marked off the certified list, receive a ballot paper and
take it to an individual voting booth, ma
rk it, fold the ballot paper and place it
in the ballot box.
•
It is not the case, as some people have claimed, that it is only compulsory to
attend the polling place and have your name marked off


Anyone who tells you that voting is a right in Australia ... and says it's only compulsory to get your name marked off [the electoral roll], and not the act of filling out the ballot papers, is just spruiking bullsh!t

How many ill-informed posters on Ozpolitics have said: "It's not compulsory to fill out the ballot papers, it's only compulsory to get your name crossed off" ?

Early voting eligibility

You can vote early either in person or by post if on election day you:

    are outside the electorate where you are enrolled to vote
    are more than 8km from a polling place
    are travelling
    are unable to leave your workplace to vote
    are seriously ill, infirm or due to give birth shortly (or caring for someone who is)
    are a patient in hospital and can't vote at the hospital
    have religious beliefs that prevent you from attending a polling place
    are in prison serving a sentence of less than three years or otherwise detained
    are a silent elector
    have a reasonable fear for your safety.

Voting should revert back to voluntary to bring human dignity into the equation. The compulsory voting law is dehumanized and antiquated. We've moved on from the days of "Do as you're told", from getting the strap at home, from getting the cane at school, etc

But still Parliaments insist on rapping us on the knuckles and sending us to bed without tea

Brief History. Enrolment and voting in federal elections was voluntary from 1901. Queensland was the first State to introduce compulsory voting in 1915. Compulsory voting for Federal elections was introduced in 1924 and first used in the 1925 elections when 91.31% of the electorate cast a vote.

This will test voters knowledge of the often used "Two Parties Preferred" concept

Does "Two Party Preferred" only apply to the ALP and the Coalition?

Be honest now

This will test voters knowledge of the often used "Two Parties Preferred" concept

Does "Two Party Preferred" only apply to the ALP and the Coalition?

Be honest now