Let me start by saying that this thread was not spawned by the US Election, although is still applies somewhat.
In Australia we have compulsory voting at both state and federal elections, with fines for those who do not vote. Recently there was a state election in Western Australia, won narrowly by the Liberal Party. This was the first election that I would be of age to vote in, however I opted not to vote. In fact I didn't even sign up for the electoral roll. After listening to the public speak I am of the opinion that cimpulsory voting is eating away at the validity of the votes cast.
For example, I was listening to the radio one evening before the election, and an elderly lady phoned in to the station to say that she had voted for Colin Barnett (leader of the Libs) by postal vote. When the host assked her why, she replied it was "simply because Mr Carpenter (leader of Labor) sent me a how to vote card in the mail". I started shouting at the radio. People want to determine who leads this state for the next four years over who sent them a how to vote card first? This angered me immensley. Hearing similarly stupid things from not only my age group (examples: "I vote x because my parents do", "I vote y because my mother knows the cousin of the candidate", "I know z because of where I live") but across the board, I began to wonder whether there should be some kind of system in place to make sure that the voters know what they are voting for - in terms of policies, promises, and other key points, as opposed to the face of the candidate.
Of course having done only a semester and a half of politics at uni I got quite keen about this and gave it great thought - and one day discussing this down the pub we figured maybe a quiz in the ballot booth to establish you know what the two major parties stand for, and what smalelr party option there are. Yes, there are problems with this idea. No, I don't think it would work in practise.
However, the point of this thread is to ask whether or not the concept of a voting body with actual knowledge of the policies and implications thereof of the party they are voting for is an ideal that cannot be achieved. Are we doomed forever to be subject to the whims of the masses who would vote along personality politics lines, or negative politics lines?
In Australia we have compulsory voting at both state and federal elections, with fines for those who do not vote. Recently there was a state election in Western Australia, won narrowly by the Liberal Party. This was the first election that I would be of age to vote in, however I opted not to vote. In fact I didn't even sign up for the electoral roll. After listening to the public speak I am of the opinion that cimpulsory voting is eating away at the validity of the votes cast.
For example, I was listening to the radio one evening before the election, and an elderly lady phoned in to the station to say that she had voted for Colin Barnett (leader of the Libs) by postal vote. When the host assked her why, she replied it was "simply because Mr Carpenter (leader of Labor) sent me a how to vote card in the mail". I started shouting at the radio. People want to determine who leads this state for the next four years over who sent them a how to vote card first? This angered me immensley. Hearing similarly stupid things from not only my age group (examples: "I vote x because my parents do", "I vote y because my mother knows the cousin of the candidate", "I know z because of where I live") but across the board, I began to wonder whether there should be some kind of system in place to make sure that the voters know what they are voting for - in terms of policies, promises, and other key points, as opposed to the face of the candidate.
Of course having done only a semester and a half of politics at uni I got quite keen about this and gave it great thought - and one day discussing this down the pub we figured maybe a quiz in the ballot booth to establish you know what the two major parties stand for, and what smalelr party option there are. Yes, there are problems with this idea. No, I don't think it would work in practise.
However, the point of this thread is to ask whether or not the concept of a voting body with actual knowledge of the policies and implications thereof of the party they are voting for is an ideal that cannot be achieved. Are we doomed forever to be subject to the whims of the masses who would vote along personality politics lines, or negative politics lines?
