[EM] Some are missing the point of the ballot `cockup'

[Crabb, Deane (PIRSA)]

Getting the wrong ballot papers can and does happen in Australia.

In Australia, it is possible to vote at other than your local polling booth.
Within one's home State, it is possible to vote at any polling booth but if
you are interstate on election day, there are only selected polling booths
where you can vote (with compulsory voting, an acceptable excuse for not
voting is being interstate).  These votes are called absentee votes.

The last Federal election was held on a Saturday of a long weekend in
several States (ie the following Monday was a public holiday) and during
school holidays.  Hence many more people tried to lodge absentee votes and
in some places (particularly holiday resort areas) the polling staff had
difficulties in coping and ran out of ballot papers for other electorates.
In the rush, I know of one person who was given the ballot paper for the
wrong electorate (Boothby instead of Bonython), and the Electoral Commission
has admitted this happened.

Again, one should say voters should at least know their local MP and even
some of the candidates - we are talking about single-member electorates, but
many voters don't even know the names of their electorates!!

-----Original Message-----
From: donald at mich.com [mailto:donald at mich.com]
Sent: Sunday, 10 October 1999 19:21
To: [EM]
Subject: [EM] Some are missing the point of the ballot `cockup'


Greetings,

KM (name unknown) wrote:

Perhaps someone from Germany could explain who it could be possible for
such a mistake as Markus Schulze reports could be even possible.

In Australia there are most stringent checkings of all papers before they
are given by the polling officers to the voters - at the time the rolls are
marked off. Such a thing could not happen in Australia.  KM
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dear KM,

    It is all very nice that Australia has a good set of checks in place so
that a voter will never get the wrong ballot, but you are missing the most
important point of his German ballot `cockup'.

    As a test, suppose we were to give each Australian the wrong ballot.
    Now the question is: How many of them would not know the difference and
vote anyway?

    As a society we can survive having the wrong ballots delivered to a
polling place.
    But, if voters are voting this one time for candidates they do not
know, then I claim these same voters do not know who they are voting for
all the other times they vote.
    This is of greater importance than wrong ballots now and then.

Regards,
Donald

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   |                         Q U O T A T I O N                         |
   |  "Democracy is a beautiful thing,                                 |
   |       except that part about letting just any old yokel vote."    |
   |                            - Age 10                               |
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