One hundred years ago compulsory enrolment was introduced in Australia for purely political reasons. Now might be the time to push for automatic enrolment, writes Brian Costar.
Compulsory voting
Greater compulsion isn’t the answer to voter disengagement
There are calls for automatic voter enrolment to address the alarming decline in voter participation in the 2010 election. But that doesn’t address the real problem of disengagement.
Election 2010: a failure of democracy
1.4 million Australians are not on the electoral roll, 729,000 were enrolled but didn’t show up at the polling booths and 400,000 voted informally. Where is the outrage? asks Michael Danby.
3.25 million missing votes in federal election
Almost 3,252,000 eligible Australians didn’t cast a vote — extraordinary for a country that has compulsory enrolment and compulsory voting, write Brian Costar and Peter Browne of Inside Story.
Julie Bishop: Why I don’t agree with compulsory voting
Australia is out of step with most democracies by enforcing compulsory voting. If voting is a “right” then it should also be a right not to vote, writes Deputy Opposition leader Julie Bishop.
What’s Australia’s real voter turnout?
The paradox of automatic voter enrollment is that once we have a more comprehensive electoral roll, the official turnout rate will drop. So while we currently rank as the country with the highest voter turnout, our numbers are likely to go down. Peter Brent does the maths.
Dust off your Smiths albums, it’s 1988 and the Australia Card all over again!
Stock up on the ammo and canned food! Bernard Keane’s conspiracy theories on electoral reforms are flat out wrong, says Peter Brent.
‘Stronger democracy’ gives way to strong-arm democracy in NSW
NSW government agencies will be collating the private data of NSW citizens and providing it to the NSW Electoral Commission to automatically update the electoral roll. There’ll be no opting out; you will have no choice.
Sweet sixteen: no vote for you
If 16 years olds are allowed to vote, then it opens the flood gates for gambling, violence, porn and drinking at 16. Our compulsory voting comes with great responsibility, writes Kenneth Wiltshire.
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Not voting is a vote against the electoral system
The old joke is that no matter whom you vote for, a politician wins. In the era of “me too” elections this is truer than ever, writes the Centre for Independent Studies’ Jeremy Sammut.
Forget philosophy, have some money
Notwithstanding Kevin Rudd’s belated attempt to seize the moral high ground, both major parties are committed to enormous increases in expenditure as a result of promises made during this election campaign, writes Peter Saunders from the Centre for Independent Studies.
