This is why, for the integrity of our system, voting should be done in person.
Brad, in an 'ideal' world, yes, yer right. It'll also be perfect if people only voted in the home location where they were registered as a voter.
That isn't viable because so many people eligible to vote aren't even in the country, let alone their own 'home town' at the time. I remember when I was 19 I had to jump through hoops to vote when I was 10,000 miles away from Oz...and had to get to the Oz consulate in London [for us it's compulsory - fined if you don't].
These days I cannot be stuffed standing in a queue at some state school...fending off people with their how-to-vote-cards, just so I can have my name ticked off [and avoid that fine]. We have 3 layers of Government so we get to do it 'a lot'. Instead I do it via Postal Vote and thus 'waste' less of my time [and more of the Govt's - whichever level].
The problem with voluntary voting is you will only get people 'incensed enough' to bother - voting. The rest will sit back and think 'whatever....shit happens'...and forget they just voided their right to have an opinion either way...because they did nothing.
Compulsory voting is really what is meant by 'the right to vote'. You don't have to actually cast a vote...you just have to have your name ticked off the roll...so the Govt knows you exercised your 'right'.
About 50 years ago [hippy student] I thought 'right to vote' meant it shouldn't be compulsory at all. But then I realized I would be doing my society/county a disservice as if I was somehow 'superior' - above voting like a simple Prole.
But I am a Prole - so SHOULD vote. Society won't change if I just sit there and do nothing. I have a 'voice' that has equal rights to be 'heard'....
