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Natasha Stott Despoja: Compulsory voting has served us well</span><br>
<span class="byline"></span><br>
<span class="pubtime">26sep05</span>
<p><span class="bodytext">IN THE same week some Liberal Party members
renewed a push for voluntary voting in Australia, the leader in the
British House of Commons, Geoff Hoon, has urged his country to
introduce compulsory voting.<br>
<br>
In response to a 61 per cent voter turnout in the past British general
election, former defence minister Hoon is keen to reinvigorate
democracy. Mr Hoon can see that a low voter turnout does not bode well
for democracy.
<p>In Australia, we get a 94 per cent voter turnout and we face fines
if we do not have good reason for not voting. Compulsory attendance at
the ballot box is a more apt description given. Once inside a booth,
voters can vote formally or informally – they can doodle on their
ballot instead of number a box if they so choose – but they must take
part. </p>
<p>The change in the Senate numbers – which gave the Coalition control
from July 1 and has seen unedifying displays such as the gagging of the
Telstra debate – could now see a revamp of our electoral laws. </p>
<p>Already we have seen attempts to change electoral laws in the past
Parliament, including a proposal to close the roll earlier for new
voters. Despite the abandonment of these plans, I would not be
surprised if they make a comeback in this changed Senate. </p>
<p>Giving new voters less time to enrol disadvantages the young. At the
past election, about 200,000 voters aged between 18 and 21 missed out
on enrolling. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, most surveys, including my annual Youth Poll, show most
young people do not want a lower voting age, more the pity. I suspect
politicians would give less lip service to the issues affecting young
people: education, training and employment; income support; mental
health, etc, if they had a louder voice. </p>
<p>A lot of the rhetoric about freedom of association and choice
emanating from federal circles – be it in relation to so-called
voluntary student unionism or voting – seems more about
disenfranchising and disempowering people. </p>
<p>The same people who constantly remind us that rights incur
responsibilities – for example, that one has a responsibility to work
for the dole – tend to be those who advocate voluntary voting. That is,
they promote the chance for people to dodge their responsibility to
democracy. Can't they see the selectivity of their arguments on rights
and duties? The rights of a democracy incur – at the very least – the
responsibility to vote. Democracy is a high-maintenance form of
government. It takes effort. It exists because people participate. It
dies when they don't. If you overstate choice as a quality to be
pursued at all costs, you have a crippled or dying democracy, dependent
on elites, the people who stir themselves or have a reason to stir
themselves. </p>
<p>At least with compulsory enrolment, you give people a valid reason
to stir themselves and that is to express their choice. </p>
<p>The energy used by the voluntary voting proponents should be used to
widen the franchise for young people, and to make it easier for people
to vote: through the internet, in remote areas, for the aged, sick and
to improve understanding about our voting system and democracy. </p>
<p>The absolute imperative for those who advocate voluntary voting must
be that they convey better than ever why people should vote. I wonder
how many schools those politicians have addressed on the merits of
voting. </p>
<p>At least we can say after an election now: this was the people's
choice. If voting becomes voluntary, "people's choice" becomes "the
voting elite's choice". </p>
<p>We have to ask: who would voluntary voting suit? Those with power,
those interested in power, those who can work the system, those who
profit from apathy and keeping people ignorant. Those with greater
means to persuade people to vote, for example, by providing transport
to get people to polling stations. </p>
<p>The system of compulsory voting has served us well. I will not be
using my vote to abolish it. </p>
<p><b><li>Natasha Stott Despoja is Democrats senator for South
Australia.</li>
</b> </p>
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