the right not to vote is completely useless unless the count of people who do not vote are treated explicitly in the election results, e.g. by interpreting a non-vote as a yes vote, or a don't care vote, or as a vote for 'don't agree with the current system' or whatever. But this does not happen (except by the bureau of statistics); hence the real opinion of those 60% who do not vote in US elections is unknown, and no attempt is made to take into account. (If it did, it is very likely that more people would in fact vote, so as not to be taken as a vote for the wrong platform).In Australia, you also have to register to vote,...
it is compulsory to register (if you are eligible - of age and a citizen)...
Furthermore, if you are registered on the electoral
roll, it is compulsory to vote, ...
WTF !?! You mean to say you don't have the right to not vote ?
The problem in Australia is not compulsory voting (that's a good thing), it's that we have no proportional representation (as in Germany) and therefore even if there is a 11% vote nationally for the Greens, they have no lower house representation at all.
This isn't the forum for discussions on democracy, but I do want to point out that what some people see as some kind of oppression is seen by others as an extremely useful and beneficial aspect of society - like Horst's example of UPIs which are anathema in some places (including Australia!) and indispensible elsewhere. These issues are complex, and related to trust and openness; societal trust of governments is a hard-won thing.
- thomas beale
