MR Candyslut
Greenlighter
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2005
- Messages
- 1,534
Ok, so with the Victorian state elections being held today, and from remarks made in the relevant thread, I would like to know what fellow's BL'ers feel about compulsory voting? It is something that I have always taken for granted ie the right/obligation to vote but I have only recently found out that Australia is an oddity in that it is one of the few Western countries that actually has law that compels its citizens to vote.
It is something that I have always supported, perhaps more so since statistics suggest the compulsory voting works in favour of the ALP , however, given Howard's pitch of 'pragmatic' economic policy and his social conservatism, I would say that conclusion would need to be reconsidered.
Essentially, I am starting to be drawn by the argument that people who have no interest in politics, and further, people who are uneducated about what they are voting for, are a more of a danger (including to themselves) than if they were not compelled to vote. Alternatively, do people think it would be appropriate to offer mandatory education during school to perhaps counter this lack of education/awareness about Australian politics?
It is something that I have always supported, perhaps more so since statistics suggest the compulsory voting works in favour of the ALP , however, given Howard's pitch of 'pragmatic' economic policy and his social conservatism, I would say that conclusion would need to be reconsidered.
Essentially, I am starting to be drawn by the argument that people who have no interest in politics, and further, people who are uneducated about what they are voting for, are a more of a danger (including to themselves) than if they were not compelled to vote. Alternatively, do people think it would be appropriate to offer mandatory education during school to perhaps counter this lack of education/awareness about Australian politics?