We no longer have any major party standing up to this shit. We have Centrist-authoritarian, Left-authoritarian, and Far-left authoritarian…
All three of which were on board with the Covid-fascism…
Only the smaller parties, that effectively cannot form government, offer any sort of alternative…
The last Federal election just proved there is no way for the population to vote its way out of this, and that even IF there was (voting for minor parties, for example), there’s no guarantee that those newly-elected “independents” won’t just turn around and stab you in the back…
Democracy is long, long dead, in the Antipodes, sadly…
In all seriousness, though, voting has been mandatory here, at state and federal level, for over a century...
It only became compulsory at the local level, in my state, this year (it shouldn't have, but the state government arbitrarily and undemocratically changed the law, to mandate voting at that level, despite public opposition to the change), however I seriously do not think that will change the outcome...
Does it bounce turnout slightly? Maybe. Does it make the election into more of a circus than, say, NZ, or another comparative country like maybe Ireland? Most definitely.
But does it actually change the outcomes? Probably not. If anything, it might shift things to the left by a decent margin, but... I certainly don't think it "helps" our cause...
So just... Be careful what you wish for, hey? Because trust me, even without that same "apathy", things are not necessarily any better on this end...
There’s a fine for not voting, yes. I think it varies by the “level” of the election, but it’s like, $150 at most…
But then you can send back a “reasonable excuse” why you couldn’t vote (i.e. I was away/sick/whatever), and they’ll usually let you off (at least first time), which is what I did, when I was interstate from my electorate during Rona…
But I honestly think it’s more the principle of it being mandatory, and the threat of punishment, rather than anyone, say, being actually arrested or summoned to court for not voting…
It’s a genuine cultural thing. If you admit, publicly, that you didn’t vote, you’re seen as a “rebel”, or a bit of a weirdo/outcast, and/or “shamed” a bit, like “Well you shouldn’t get to complain/have a say in community affairs, then!”
I’m not sure that’s quite the same elsewhere, at least in the level of shame directed at avowed “non-voters”, but then, we don’t have “get out the vote” campaigns, so much as “remember you MUST vote” campaigns, so that’s… An interesting cultural quirk/difference, if nothing else!
In Australia, we’re one step ahead of you guys…
We no longer have any major party standing up to this shit. We have Centrist-authoritarian, Left-authoritarian, and Far-left authoritarian…
All three of which were on board with the Covid-fascism…
Only the smaller parties, that effectively cannot form government, offer any sort of alternative…
The last Federal election just proved there is no way for the population to vote its way out of this, and that even IF there was (voting for minor parties, for example), there’s no guarantee that those newly-elected “independents” won’t just turn around and stab you in the back…
Democracy is long, long dead, in the Antipodes, sadly…
I literally could not agree more. We have a real problem here.
Mandatory voting, baybay, woohoo! /s
In all seriousness, though, voting has been mandatory here, at state and federal level, for over a century...
It only became compulsory at the local level, in my state, this year (it shouldn't have, but the state government arbitrarily and undemocratically changed the law, to mandate voting at that level, despite public opposition to the change), however I seriously do not think that will change the outcome...
Does it bounce turnout slightly? Maybe. Does it make the election into more of a circus than, say, NZ, or another comparative country like maybe Ireland? Most definitely.
But does it actually change the outcomes? Probably not. If anything, it might shift things to the left by a decent margin, but... I certainly don't think it "helps" our cause...
So just... Be careful what you wish for, hey? Because trust me, even without that same "apathy", things are not necessarily any better on this end...
There’s a fine for not voting, yes. I think it varies by the “level” of the election, but it’s like, $150 at most…
But then you can send back a “reasonable excuse” why you couldn’t vote (i.e. I was away/sick/whatever), and they’ll usually let you off (at least first time), which is what I did, when I was interstate from my electorate during Rona…
But I honestly think it’s more the principle of it being mandatory, and the threat of punishment, rather than anyone, say, being actually arrested or summoned to court for not voting…
It’s a genuine cultural thing. If you admit, publicly, that you didn’t vote, you’re seen as a “rebel”, or a bit of a weirdo/outcast, and/or “shamed” a bit, like “Well you shouldn’t get to complain/have a say in community affairs, then!”
I’m not sure that’s quite the same elsewhere, at least in the level of shame directed at avowed “non-voters”, but then, we don’t have “get out the vote” campaigns, so much as “remember you MUST vote” campaigns, so that’s… An interesting cultural quirk/difference, if nothing else!