Compulsory Voting - YES or NO?

[Rorschach]

I hope you don't mind if I just ignore you mantra.

[mantra]

I hope you don't mind if I just ignore you mantra.

I would be happier if you did.

[IQS.RLOW]

For example in a queue at a booth - sometimes you can convince a couple of people waiting to vote for your favourite political party

Although I would dearly love for this fantasy to come true, to have someone like you or Skip mention your Green proclivities in an effort to 'convince' me to vote for them...only so I could unleash the power of righteous conservative truth and watch you stammer and stutter your way to complete silence and shame- this does not happen in normal society.

Party discussions and invective are reserved for those useless hacks with no life that man the HTV booths and feel its their job

No one discusses voting preferences in the queue

you would have branch stackers fraudulently using the thousands, perhaps millions of unused votes for their own devious purpose.

Pray tell, how would this 'branch stackers fraud' operate?

[mantra]

No one discusses voting preferences in the queue

I must have stood in friendlier queues than you have IQ.

you would have branch stackers fraudulently using the thousands, perhaps millions of unused votes for their own devious purpose.

Pray tell, how would this 'branch stackers fraud' operate?

The people who man the booths with the help of associates have the perfect opportunity to stack the votes at the end of the day if they choose. Their job would be so much easier if voting wasn't compulsory. Who's to know how many people visit these booths just before closing and take advantage of the thousands of unchecked names. Proof of identity is not required.

[Neferti]

No one discusses voting preferences in the queue

I must have stood in friendlier queues than you have IQ.

you would have branch stackers fraudulently using the thousands, perhaps millions of unused votes for their own devious purpose.

Pray tell, how would this 'branch stackers fraud' operate?

The people who man the booths with the help of associates have the perfect opportunity to stack the votes at the end of the day if they choose. Their job would be so much easier if voting wasn't compulsory. Who's to know how many people visit these booths just before closing and take advantage of the thousands of unchecked names. Proof of identity is not required.

Do you really believe that, Mantra? I am sure those who work at the booths at Elections sign some sort of declaration that might involve some gaol time if caught doing such a thing. How many people would be that keen on a Pollie to stack votes and risk 10 years (or whatever) gaol? You must have had some problems with people in the past to think so badly of everyone that you would think such a thing. Amazing.

[Rorschach]

She has no idea... having scrutineered many time before I can tell you you can't change the outcome of a vote en-mass whilst the booth is opened.
However if you can gain access at a booth where counting is incomplete after everyone has left and somehow have access to hundreds of altered ballots or the number of uncounted ballots, then it is possible.

[Neferti]

She has no idea... having scrutineered many time before I can tell you you can't change the outcome of a vote en-mass whilst the booth is opened.
However if you can gain access at a booth where counting is incomplete after everyone has left and somehow have access to hundreds of altered ballots or the number of uncounted ballots, then it is possible.

Really? That's why I use a biro. Isn't there something that scrutineers sign that would discourage them from doing such a thing? Why would someone even think of doing it?

[mantra]

Do you really believe that, Mantra? I am sure those who work at the booths at Elections sign some sort of declaration that might involve some gaol time if caught doing such a thing. How many people would be that keen on a Pollie to stack votes and risk 10 years (or whatever) gaol? You must have had some problems with people in the past to think so badly of everyone that you would think such a thing. Amazing.

Neferti - you recently said that you don't read the newspapers or watch the news - and that's obvious. It is already so easy for branch stacking to occur. You go to a polling booth - no ID - get your name marked off. You go to the next booth up the road and do the same thing. Sometimes there are a dozen booths covering one area - possibly more so you go to each one. If we didn't have to vote - this slack system would be even easier to rort. How would people who don't bother voting know whether someone else has used their name? They don't know. You can be fined for not voting, but I don't think anyone would complain if they didn't get a fine.

[mantra]

She has no idea... having scrutineered many time before I can tell you you can't change the outcome of a vote en-mass whilst the booth is opened.

Obviously - but I wasn't talking about altering votes during voting hours. There would be no need. The same person could come back 20 times and mark off a different name each time and the people managing the booths wouldn't have a clue.

[Neferti]

Do you really believe that, Mantra? I am sure those who work at the booths at Elections sign some sort of declaration that might involve some gaol time if caught doing such a thing. How many people would be that keen on a Pollie to stack votes and risk 10 years (or whatever) gaol? You must have had some problems with people in the past to think so badly of everyone that you would think such a thing. Amazing.

Neferti - you recently said that you don't read the newspapers or watch the news - and that's obvious.

I do NOT watch TV NEWS but I DO read the online newspapers DAILY and throughout the day for updates. That includes:

News.com.au
SMH
Canberra Times
ABC
Andrew Bolt
Telegraph - and the blogs
RiotACT
BBC
Australian
Financial Review

....... and etcetera

It is already so easy for branch stacking to occur. You go to a polling booth - no ID - get your name marked off. You go to the next booth up the road and do the same thing. Sometimes there are a dozen booths covering one area - possibly more so you go to each one. If we didn't have to vote - this slack system would be even easier to rort. How would people who don't bother voting know whether someone else has used their name? They don't know. You can be fined for not voting, but I don't think anyone would complain if they didn't get a fine.

Why on earth would ANYBODY be bothered to do such a thing? Sure, it could, perhaps, be done but ...... why? I doubt Aussies are so hell bent on their local Pollie getting in ..... geeze.

Last week, I did a Pre-Poll vote for the first time. They didn't ask for an excuse as to why you were voting early. They didn't ask for ID. They ticked your name off on a laptop and gave you a card to swipe so that you could register you vote ELECTRONICALLY. Apparently, about 45,000 plus Canberrans did the pre-poll voting (goes for 3 weeks, I think, before the actual polling day), I think there were 256,000 or so eligible voters on the Canberra Rolls. Don't quote me.

PS Tomorrow (midnight) is the cut off for Postal Votes for the Canberra Election. After that they will start counting preferences. It is not decided yet who will be Chief Minister of Canberra.

Canberra is a little like other country towns, we now have 370,000+ people here but we do not have a 3 tier system. The (useless) ACT Government does all the Council stuff (bins, roads, etc) but are also responsible for Health and Education ..... the so-called important stuff. This time around most people felt it was time for a change after 12 years of ALP (last 4 years with Greens). Everyone I know voted Liberal. Some are swinging voters. We will see what we see. But life will go on in this place where Politicians only visit when Parliament is Sitting.