This government has me puzzled

Here is the answer regarding informal votes cast in the 2016 Australian election as an example. On average 5.9% of votes cast were invalid, not all because they had been deliberately spoiled, but because the voter had incorrectly completed the ballot paper.
www.aec.gov.au/about_aec/research/analysis-informal-voting-2016-election.htm

David49

Voter turnout is over 90% in Australia, for better or worse its a great deal better than UK.

Factually it's bigger. What do you think makes it better? It would be more useful to know if there was an increase in unspoiled votes.

I wonder what the comparison is in terms of spoiled ballots. Do those countries with compulsory voting have a much higher rate of spoil ballots for example.

I see both points of view as regards compulsory voting but in the end freedom and democracy win out.

David49

M0nica

if I lived in a country that made voting compulsory. I would not vote and I would take the conseuences. Forcing people to vote is a negation of Democracy and spoiling the ballot paper is the cowards way out.

There are always disruptive rebels in every society who object to everything.

I do not object to everything, but forcing people to vote is a negation of democracy. Democracy includes the right to have nothing to do with it.

M0nica

if I lived in a country that made voting compulsory. I would not vote and I would take the conseuences. Forcing people to vote is a negation of Democracy and spoiling the ballot paper is the cowards way out.

There are always disruptive rebels in every society who object to everything.

I have been a polling clerk from time to time and was actually amazed that only a couple of people out of thousands who fronted up ‘spoilt’ their voting slip. I suppose if you go there you might as well vote for something . I am certain compulsory voting would not work in the uk - not used to it and just a different mindset. I don’t think we are cowards, just practical. As I said, different - my guess would be that voting would be around 5-10% which would open the door to dictatorships and silly people who rounded up supporters to vote for them. Ring any bells ?

M0nica

if I lived in a country that made voting compulsory. I would not vote and I would take the conseuences. Forcing people to vote is a negation of Democracy and spoiling the ballot paper is the cowards way out.

It's only a $20 fine (less than £10).

However, you should not then really complain except about the voting system!

if I lived in a country that made voting compulsory. I would not vote and I would take the conseuences. Forcing people to vote is a negation of Democracy and spoiling the ballot paper is the cowards way out.

Voter turnout is over 90% in Australia, for better or worse its a great deal better than UK.

But spoiling your ballot paper at least means you’ve taken the trouble to vote.
People disappointed with the outcome of the poll, will still refuse to accept the outcome, now wailing that,
with all those spoiled ballot papers, it’s not a true result.

And think of the gleeful rubbing of hands in Parliament at yet another source of revenue almost willingly given by the you can’t make me herd.

There are issues with the Australian system too,
fullfact.org/news/does-av-lead-more-spoiled-ballots/

ronib

Can you not write none of the above in Australia and have that as your vote?

Who would know? At least you put a mark on the ballot paper.

ronib

Can you not write none of the above in Australia and have that as your vote?

I don't know, nanna8 might know.

I did that for Police and Crime Commissioner because I don't agree with the rôle, just an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy imo.
It does count as a spoiled ballot paper.

Can you not write none of the above in Australia and have that as your vote?

Voting is compulsory in Australia, but perhaps those who refuse on whatever principle are happy to pay the fine which is $20.

But nanna8 we won’t have compulsory voting here. It wouldn’t do at all.

There’d be cries of The wrong people are being allowed to vote. (think about the 16 year olds if no others).

The stamping of feet from the usual You can’t make me! herd.

The plethora of excuses of why people can’t get to the ballot box or can’t do postal voting or even suspected fraud with postal voting.

The non-believers would still not accept the result even if the majority was over 1,000,000.

Finally, I’d no longer be able to point out that the blame for whatever we end up with, lies more with those who CBA to vote, than those who at least voted for what they believed in at the time.

A referendum on whether we should have compulsory voting with fines for non-compliance would bring out more voters than a general election or even Brexit.

Freya5

Grantanow

The problem, Jaberwok, is that politics is the art of the possible. Governments have to take voters preferences into account.

Some voters, not all. Hence the ban on trail"human scent" hunting, Starmer hates rural life, he's a townie, a London elitist, does not understand ,want to , or even attended a trail hunt, to see what goes on. Yet he's pandering to the Muslim vote, Kosher slaughter too, although at least you know kosher food, we are being unknowingly fed hahal food in restaurants, etc. This government is pandering to some voters, a minority, certainly not all. Well he's certainly made sure he won't win a second term, 🙏.

I get that these issues provoke strong feelings, but I don’t agree with the way they’re being framed here. I’m not convinced that policies around hunting or food standards come from contempt for rural life or from pandering to particular groups.

Governments make these decisions for a mix of legal, ethical, and public-interest reasons, and I think it’s more complicated than ‘us versus them’. I also find broad statements about whole communities or voting blocs unhelpful; people’s views and priorities are far more varied than that.

nanna8

I think that is why we have compulsory voting here. I would bet my bottom dollar there would be a very,very low turnout here otherwise. Especially now -not much worth voting for, between the devil and the deep blue sea as they say.

😹😹😹 crossed posts

I think that is why we have compulsory voting here. I would bet my bottom dollar there would be a very,very low turnout here otherwise. Especially now -not much worth voting for, between the devil and the deep blue sea as they say.

Maybe we should have compulsory voting like Australia, you do get fined if you don’t.

Maybe Nanna has an opinion on this

ronib

Interesting idea about every voter being equal at the ballot box… only if the voter returns a vote? The UK has fewer active voters than is good for a democracy?

The real uestion Ronib is why so many British voters choose not to/can't be bothered.

It is the low turnout that gives us such poor government.

It was just a statement of fact ronib. Only the wishes of people who use the ballot box count in our current electoral system.

Interesting idea about every voter being equal at the ballot box… only if the voter returns a vote? The UK has fewer active voters than is good for a democracy?

Every voter is equal at the ballot box Freya5, and all political parties have to aim to please the majority, on most issues. I doubt whether the majority endorse trail hunting or halal meat being used in restaurants where they aren’t advised of that - but ultimately, they are minor issues that are very unlikely to affect the way most people vote in a general election.