Compulsory voting.
The electoral roll is a list of all people who are registered to vote in Australian elections. In Australia, all citizens over the age of 18 must enrol to vote. It is compulsory by law to enroll and compulsory by law to attend a polling place at election time.
Seventeen year olds may provisionally enroll and will be able to vote if their 18th birthday falls on or before polling day.
Queensland was the first State to introduce compulsory voting in 1915.
Compulsory voting for Federal elections was introduced in 1924 and first used in the 1925 elections where 91.31% of the electorate cast a vote.
Enrollment and voting for Aboriginal people became compulsory in 1984.
Other countries which have some form of compulsory voting are:
The following people are not entitled to enroll and vote:
Seventeen year olds may provisionally enroll and will be able to vote if their 18th birthday falls on or before polling day.
- Enrollment and voting in federal elections was voluntary from 1901.
- Permanent electoral rolls were established in 1908.
- Enrollment became compulsory in 1911.
Queensland was the first State to introduce compulsory voting in 1915.
Compulsory voting for Federal elections was introduced in 1924 and first used in the 1925 elections where 91.31% of the electorate cast a vote.
Enrollment and voting for Aboriginal people became compulsory in 1984.
Other countries which have some form of compulsory voting are:
- Argentina
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Cyprus
- Dominican Republic
- Egypt
- Greece
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Liechenstein
- Luxembourg
- Panama
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Switzerland (some cantons only)
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- British subjects who were on a Commonwealth electoral roll before 26 January 1984, at which time the eligibility requirements were altered.
The following people are not entitled to enroll and vote:
- prisoners serving a sentence of five years or more
- people who have been convicted of treason and not pardoned
- people who are incapable of understanding the nature and significance of enrollment and voting
Factors affecting voting behaviour.
A PSEPHOLOGIST is a person who analyses the way in which people vote. They look at issues such as age, demographics, social status, gender, cultural and religious backgrounds to account for the results achieved in elections. This is an inexact science as the voting systems in Australia are run under the system of a secret ballot. Australia’s number one psephologist is Antony Green.
Factors that affect voting behaviour are:
Institutional:
These factors relate to the rules and processes that exist in our electoral system: (Commonwealth electoral act 1919 and subsequent amendments)
Long term:
These factors are most determinant of which party one votes for. There is a saying that voting behaviour is ‘caught, not taught’. Having a stable 2 party system helps reinforce these long term factors. They include:
Factors that affect voting behaviour are:
- Institutional
- Long term
- Medium term
- Short term
- Impact of the media
Institutional:
These factors relate to the rules and processes that exist in our electoral system: (Commonwealth electoral act 1919 and subsequent amendments)
- Single member electorates for the lower house
- Multi member electorates for the upper house
- Preferential voting
- Proportional voting
- Compulsory voting
- Electoral boundaries
Long term:
These factors are most determinant of which party one votes for. There is a saying that voting behaviour is ‘caught, not taught’. Having a stable 2 party system helps reinforce these long term factors. They include:
- Age (older people tend to vote more conservatively e.g. Liberal Party; Younger people tend to vote more radically e.g. left wing – Greens, ALP)
- Gender (women tend to be more likely to vote ALP. They are less likely to be involved in senior corporate roles. They are more likely to be part time workers, mothers who value the support the ALP offer working people).
- Social status (higher socio-economic groups much more likely to vote Liberal. This is to maintain the status quo that puts them into a priviledged position in society. Working class Australians are more likely to vote ALP).
- Occupation
- Geographic location (rural people tend to be more conservative e.g. Liberal or National, Pauline Hanson. Urban people more likely to vote ALP).
- Religion (Catholics have historically voted for the underdog in society – therefore tend to vote ALP. Protestants / Church of England (i.e. Christian) have tended to be more conservative and tend to vote Liberal.
- Ethnicity
Task.
Complete the 'Voting for the Australian Parliament' worksheet.
Task.
Complete the 'First past the post, simple majority and compulsory voting' worksheet.
Task.
Using the websites I will email you, write an argument for or against compulsory voting.