# Compulsory voting in Australia and Belgium

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compulsory-voting-in-australia-and-belgium/93651>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 16, 2001, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compulsory-voting-in-australia-and-belgium/93651 "2001-11-16T02:30:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compulsory-voting-in-australia-and-belgium/93651/21 "2001-11-17T00:39:50Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Crafter\_Man \*  
> \*\*If a person has no desire to vote for whatever reason, or they’re lazy/uninformed/apathetic, then I don’t want them to vote. \*\*

But then how would the **One Nation Party** get any votes? 😕

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**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compulsory-voting-in-australia-and-belgium/93651/22 "2001-11-17T02:28:06Z")

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Even though it is a year old, I will not pass up an opportunity to link to this thread:

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=46599](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=46599)

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**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compulsory-voting-in-australia-and-belgium/93651/23 "2001-11-17T02:31:26Z")

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Sorry, I should have said I was responding to this:

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ElwoodCuse \*  
> \*\*
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by cazzle \*  
> > \*\*Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, don’t believe in voting. \*\*
> 
> They don’t? Why not?\*\*

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**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compulsory-voting-in-australia-and-belgium/93651/24 "2001-11-18T04:03:53Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Kayeby \*  
> \*\*
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by Crafter\_Man \*  
> > \*\*If a person has no desire to vote for whatever reason, or they’re lazy/uninformed/apathetic, then I don’t want them to vote. \*\*
> 
> But then how would the **One Nation Party** get any votes? 😕 \*\*

Huh?

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**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compulsory-voting-in-australia-and-belgium/93651/25 "2001-11-18T09:09:16Z")

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**CrafterMan** , let’s just that Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party is not the…ah, how do I put this…

Fuck it, I’ll say it straight (and bear in mind that this is purely my opinion): you need to be one of the biggest idiots this world has ever generated to vote for that bunch of losers. Their power base is comprised (again, IMHO) of the uninformed, the apathetic and the downright bloody stupid.

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**Author:** ![gadgetgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c5a1d2/32.png) [@gadgetgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gadgetgirl)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compulsory-voting-in-australia-and-belgium/93651/26 "2001-11-18T10:29:07Z")

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yeah tavalla, and where are all of Ms. Hanson’s supporters now?  
hmmmm, guess she’ll have to go back to the fish and chips shop.  
But I have no problem with a compulsary “showing up on voting day” exercise.  
Like TLD said, just pass in a blank ballot.

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