Skip Navigation
90 comments

  • Doesn't matter get out and vote. Don't know if this article is part of it, but the powers that be want you to feel like there is no reason to go out and vote. There is every reason to get out and vote. Go vote. Do it. Kick the bastards out. I fucking hate starmer but anything is better than the conservatives. Move the Overton window further left. Vote. Vote. Vote.

  • I think Curtice underestimates how much people want the Tories out, to be honest. I think we'll see high levels of tactical voting among people who want the Tories out, which is nearly everyone, and that will drive higher turnout.

    EDIT: Just saw this, lot of it about in this thread:

    “If Starmer wants to win a general election, then he’s going to have to compromise and do things that I might not like to appeal to a broader cross-section of voters. Now, that might lead to improvements in the lives of the majority of people and remove the worst government in living memory, but is that worth me having to put up with him not doing everything that I specifically want him [sic] from a Labour government? Not really.”

  • Which is why voting should be compulsory. Even if you only write 'Shove it' on the ballot paper.

    • What would that achieve Vs just not voting? You're filtering out the population that don't want to vote either way. I don't think any party would suddenly care more if they could "see" people spoiling their ballot paper Vs just not filling it in.

      You'd then also have to set up some sort of commission to fine people for not voting. Doesn't sound like an effective use of time.

      • What would that achieve Vs just not voting?

        Actually a great question, and the answer isn't necessarily obvious for someone who hasn't had experience with compulsory voting.

        The effect of compulsory voting is that voter suppression techniques (discouraging people from wanting to vote, making it hard for certain people to vote, etc.), like the ones being discussed here become impossible. The AEC has to make it easy for every Australian to vote, and the government has to fund them appropriately to be able to do that. Elections are always held on a Saturday, to ensure the maximum amount of people can vote on the day. Prepolling is also extremely easy for people who can't make it on the day. Most people do have a preference one way or the other, even if that preference isn't enough to get out and vote normally. By making it compulsory, even those people will have their say. You can't run a campaign designed less to make yourself seem good than to simply make people think it's not worth the effort of voting. You have to actually convince people yes, you are the better option.

        Yes, some people still choose to give an informal vote (often unofficially referred to as "spoiling" their ballot). Putting a blank ballot in the box, or writing something you think is funny, or drawing a penis on the ballot, are popular examples of deliberate informal votes. In 2022, we had a voter turnout of 89.82% of enrolled voters. Of those, just 5.19% ballots were informal. It's impossible to know how many of the informal ballots were mistakes by the voter versus deliberately "spoilt" ballots. But that's a total formal vote of 85.16% of enrolled voters. Compare that to the UK's 67.3% turnout at the last UK general election and the difference is stark. Think also that the percentage of eligible voters who are enrolled to vote in Australia is much higher than in the UK, again due to the compulsory vote, and the difference becomes even more significant.

      • Well, spoiled ballots are tracked and when there's a higher than normal proportion of spoiled ballots its clear there's something wrong, which can be the basis for various courses of action.

      • I can't comment on the effectiveness, but doesn't Australia do this? Their voter turnout is around 90%. I think the 10% are the real part of eligible voters who don't want to vote not the 30-40% you see in some other countries. What do you think?

      • Because some of those will vote legitimately. 'You want to slag off the government/MPs? Then vote - or keep your trap shut and suck it up.' That needs to be on posters.

        And to wheel out the old chestnut - people died so that we can sit on our arses and complain. Get out and vote.

        And of course you can always vote by post. Not exactly difficult.

90 comments