Lafari@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world · 10 months agoWhy is Australia the only "core anglosphere" country where voting is mandatory?message-squaremessage-square6fedilinkarrow-up10arrow-down12
arrow-up1-2arrow-down1message-squareWhy is Australia the only "core anglosphere" country where voting is mandatory?Lafari@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world · 10 months agomessage-square6fedilink
minus-squareLafari@lemmy.worldOPlinkfedilinkarrow-up0arrow-down1·10 months agoIn order words, why is voting mandatory in Australia, but not UK, US, Canada or New Zealand?
minus-squarespittingimage@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up0·10 months agoMaybe it should be mandatory in the US. It would make voter suppression harder, if not impossible.
minus-squareLafari@lemmy.worldOPlinkfedilinkarrow-up0arrow-down1·10 months agoFollow-up question: If voting is mandatory, but you don’t want to vote for any of the parties, what are you expected to do?
minus-squareJoBo@feddit.uklinkfedilinkarrow-up0·edit-210 months agoThe idea gets raised periodically here, especially since the huge drop in turnout starting in 1997. There’s a Research Briefing on it in the Commons Library. I haven’t read it but it’s a terrible idea. Just another way for the parties to avoid having to offer anything worth voting for.
minus-squarerelevants@feddit.delinkfedilinkarrow-up0arrow-down2·10 months ago I haven’t read it but it’s a terrible idea. “Yeah sure I don’t know what I’m talking about, but here’s my strong opinion anyways”
In order words, why is voting mandatory in Australia, but not UK, US, Canada or New Zealand?
Maybe it should be mandatory in the US. It would make voter suppression harder, if not impossible.
Follow-up question: If voting is mandatory, but you don’t want to vote for any of the parties, what are you expected to do?
The idea gets raised periodically here, especially since the huge drop in turnout starting in 1997.
There’s a Research Briefing on it in the Commons Library.
I haven’t read it but it’s a terrible idea. Just another way for the parties to avoid having to offer anything worth voting for.
“Yeah sure I don’t know what I’m talking about, but here’s my strong opinion anyways”