Greetings, I remember a recent election with 20+ candidates on the ballot paper. The way one is supposed to vote, as shown on the how-to-vote cards, is to select your most favoured candidate and place a 1 against his/her name, then a 2 on the next favoured and so on until you run out of numbers.
I so detested the list of candidates that I voted in reverse order, counting down in order of least distaste. Says a lot for what was on offer. I don't think that, in 35 years of voting, I ever voted for a candidate who actually won. I consider myself disenfranchised and unrepresented. Sad... really. -- Regards, noonie On 9 July 2010 19:07, Les Hughes <l...@datarev.com.au> wrote: > Greg Keogh wrote: > >> I was disappointed several years ago to learn that it's illegal to tell >> people not to vote, and perhaps also to tell them to vote for the donkey >> or >> to write your opinion of politicians on the ballot paper instead of >> ticking >> the little boxes. I remember some TV host dipstick comedian girlie made >> comments in this area, and on the following weeks show they had to make an >> apology for what she said and explain the conundrum. >> >> Although I don't think it's illegal to actually vote for the donkey or >> write >> a poem on the ballot paper, because thanks to the anonymous system we have >> they can't track the offender. I also think it's not illegal to be not >> registered to vote. >> >> I still have this dream of watching election night and the big tally >> boards >> behind the presenters start racking up the numbers ... 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% >> 0.001% >> 0% 0.0023% 0% etc. I wonder if the Australian constitution could deal with >> such a situation where almost no one made a valid vote. >> >> Any legal experts in here? I know we have at least one who writes software >> as well. >> >> Greg >> >> > > I'm certainly not an expert (although, I am an avid watcher of Judge Judy), > but a quick look at the constitution seems to show nothing particular about > individual voters. Check > http://www.comlaw.gov.au/comlaw/comlaw.nsf/440c19285821b109ca256f3a001d59b7/57dea3835d797364ca256f9d0078c087/$FILE/ConstitutionAct.pdf > > Taking a quick look around, it appears we are forced to vote via the > Commonwealth Electoral Act (1918), and I believe there are also state acts > for state elections (I could be wrong, but I received a fine from the VEC > once, and I recall it been a state act). > > On Federal elections, some info from > http://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/Publications/backgrounders/files/2010-eb-compulsory-voting.pdf > > "In 1911, the former Act was amended to make enrolment compulsory. In 1924, > to increase voter turnout and reduce party campaign expenditure, the Act was > amended to make voting at federal elections compulsory." > > Somewhere on the site it says $20 for federal elections, and from memory, > it is $50 for the Victorian state elections, or it might be 0.5 penalty > units. I am not sure..... I am pretty sure that it is illegal to donkey > vote, but the nature of anonymous voting makes it unenforceable (until they > bring in CSI: Ballot sheets to do DNA matching/etc.... or not) > > I agree with you that voting shouldn't be compulsory, but I think because > it is, we should add a box that says "They are all inferior choices". I am > pretty sure that box would win. > > Anyway, that's enough from me, have a good weekend everyone :P > > -- > Les Hughes > l...@datarev.com.au >
