Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Jan 4
th, 2013 at 6:10am:
Many more democracies have non compulsive voting than the other way around. What are we afraid of? That no one will turn up? How embarrassing would that be?
We have a better standard than most democracies.
Earlier in the year I watched the US train wreck voting system, they recently had an election result of 5 to 3 in the high court. They held an election and in the end decieded to not bother counting the votes.
In the UK there was an election a few years ago won on something like 20% of the vote. Obviously in the UK a mandate means going out with a bloke.
The biggest impact of non compulsory voting would be an increase in the influence of interest groups and a reduction in the influence of the people.
If a government has the option to spend money on an issue where they may get some votes as opposed to areas where there is nothing for them where do you think most of the cash will end up.
Look at things like the US gun Lobby they are so powerfull that the US can not address a genuine problem which is routinely killing their children.
I see no advantage in going to the lower standard and see potential problems down the track if we take power from the people and give it to minority interest groups.
Like it or not manditory voting makes government at least try to represent all of us.