Brian Ross wrote on Nov 5
th, 2024 at 11:46pm:
UnSubRocky wrote on Nov 5
th, 2024 at 10:14pm:
Daves2017 wrote on Nov 5
th, 2024 at 10:10pm:
Voting is compulsory in our “free” democracy!
No. It is not. You just need to have your name marked off on the electoral roll. After that, people don't care if you walk out the door with the ballot paper, unmarked.
Not quite. You are not allowed to exit a polling booth with a ballot paper this prevents the "Dodge" being enacted. You are correct that all you need is your name marked off the electoral roll to indicate your attendance during an election. Tsk, tsk, tsk...
We have had this discussion before. Theoretically, you would be correct. Realistically, you have not much of a clue.
As a 17 y.o., I walked into my high school to vote in the Federal Election. Having marked off my attendance, I was a little confused how the voting process worked. It took me 30 minutes of "heavy thinking" a 700mL bottle of bourbon before I could stagger over to the boxes and put the paper aeroplane ballot paper into the right bin... from 7 metres away.
Emmaus College was only a couple klicks walk from my parents' place. Guess who sobered up inside 3 hours with 2 litres of water consumed and a school bag full of toilet paper? I was showered and ready to vote again at Emmaus College.
All I needed was a phone book to choose a name of a nearby resident. I did not look like a Jack, as people knew my real name. So I chose the name John Cricket (*name changed to not dox the person) out of a 1995 era phone book. The real John was a retiree who could not be bothered voting anymore. He did not have to vote. But, since I looked like his drugged out nephew, Peter (*not his real name), it was only fitting that I could go and vote for him.
My girlfriend (pregnant at the time -- not that I knew it) supervised (aided and abetted) my orientation to the polling booth. She also assume the name "Carmen".
Person marking the role: *Peter, have you voted anywhere else today?
17 y.o. USR: .........no...
Pmtr: Have you been drinking today?
USR: I have just had a few bourbons last night and I am feeling a little hungover
Pmtr: Well, *Peter, you are 18 years old. But you should know better than to be drunk before an election. What would your father think?
USR: My father thinks I am pretty cool for someone turning 19 next month.
The volunteer marked off "Peter's" name and gave me another ballot form. I forgot to take off my sunglasses during the whole thing. I went over and voted again for the party of my choice.
Later, I walked over to a radio announcer's table and sang along with him. Eventually, my stomach was giving me enough trouble that I belched for 5 seconds, during the radio interview. Then I continued on about how Paul Keating was such a good bloke to be giving 17 y.o. people the right to vote in a democracy, even though no one really voted for Mr Keating in the first place.
I made the evening and late local news. People wanted me to be arrested for drunken and disorderly behaviour. Had they known what I did the weekend at the Glenmore school, I would have been convicted and gaoled.
My eldest daughter is only 18 years younger than me. I am so proud of her.
p.s. "Stay away from my bourbon!". No, not you Brian. The idiot from Gladstone.