That same freedom also means that those uninformed, uninteresting get to vote if they want. They can also “give” their vote to someone who does care, by taking a marked up voting guide or a list in with them.
That’s real freedom, imo.
I don’t know quite why, so I apologise for not presenting a counterargument, but this does seem like a rather weak defence of the system.
I don’t know about penalties for not voting, but how about a few priviledges for voting?
Say, front of the line at the DMV and the security checkpoint at the airport. Reduced parking ticket fines?
Sounds good to me. 
It wasn’t compulsory when I lived there in the 1990s. There’s a general election in New Zealand this Saturday (8 November) and voting is not compulsory.
In Perú voting is compulsory. Not voting carries a fine and you cannot -at least in theory- sign legal contracts, cash cheques, renwe your driver’s license or anything like that.
Furthermore, the people manning the polling stations (“mesas de votación”) are selected by draw and prticipation is also complusory. The fine is double.
I could have watched the whole minute of just seeing the faces on the other team.
Enrollment is compulsory but voting isn’t.
They have it in Brazil, and my band’s drummer’s brother’s band says:
(or is it Vote Nulo?..I don’t know Portuguese)
If you’re a New Zealand resident, and vacation in Berkeley, Californis, USA, you must wait a year to enroll? I can see why, but I’m surprised you know us that well. 
“Compulsory” just always sounds bad. Unless in a BDSM context…
.:eek:
If that was meant to titillate, it worked. :eek:
Null voting used to be the way to punish politicians in Venezuela, then the party delegates at the voting tables started splitting the null votes and that made null votes a bad move. Back to abstention.
The best reason against compulsory voting… John Howard!
I based my opinion on the conversations I’d had with a number of people in the past who’d volunteered the information that they didn’t vote, or didn’t normally vote. To be honest, you’re the first person I’ve personally encountered who has made that as a conscious, reasoned decision.
You’ve peaked my curiousity: may I ask you to summarize your reasoning for this decision?
In my experience they never seemed to interested in following people up, Its more of a threat then an actual reality.
Plus its only a $20 fine, if you have a good reason, and the Northern Territory won’t even bother to do that.
Support for compulsory voting runs at about 75%, so no need to get one’s knickers in a twist.
In Australia, is it compulsory to vote for ALL offices on the ballot? I mean, on our ballot in California, we’re not just voting for president, or even for congressman. There’s an office of the local water board on the ballot in my district, and I have not a clue about any of the candidates – there hasn’t been a single mention of this race in any medium. I’m thinking about not voting in this race. Would this be against the law in Australia?
Ed
In Australia we have a three-tier government structure:
- Commonwealth (i.e. federal) parliament;
- state parliaments; and
- local councils.
When we vote, it’s only for members of these bodies. We don’t vote for public administration officials or judicial officers. At federal and state elections there would normally be two ballot papers, one for each house of parliament. At local elections, there would generally be one or two ballot papers, depending on how the council is organised. In my local council, for example, we not only elect councillors, but also directly elect the mayor. So at any election you’d normally be talking about having to complete only one or two ballot papers.
Voting is just a matter of numbering the squares in your order of preference for the candidates: example of ballot paper for the federal parliament (House of Representatives
But voting being compulsory seems to encourage more people to be informed and involved, so that their vote is meaningful. I’m all for it.