IAPSS Live with Lisa Hill on Compulsory Voting in Australia 

What about if you attend, are recorded as attending, but then refuse to cast a ballot and leave again? Is it compulsory to cast a ballot (irrespective of it being spoilt or blank or for a candidate)?

@@clavichord I have only not voted once and at that time I could not refuse to take a ballot, even though I protested I didn't intend to vote and at the same time I couldn't leave with the blank ballot and had to just place it unmarked into the ballot box. The walk of shame. The vibe was that I was not doing my duty by not voting. This is how ingrained it is to ''do the right thing'' and vote. Fun Facts: In a Federal election you vote for candidates in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The ballot paper for Reps measures about 10cms x 20cms and contains 4-6 names which you mark 1-6 in order of preference while Senate paper is about 50cms x 1metre and contains up to 150 names for only 6 Senate positions which you can mark 1-150 in your order of preference or as a rare recognition of reality you need only mark for 12 candidates if you wish to make it a valid vote. It is a Preferential Voting System which means if your first preference is only a small percentage of the overall vote your second or perhaps third choice is countered so that the winning candidate gets, with preferences, 51% of the vote. Voting in Australia is an event. Outside the polling stations, decked with bunting and steamers and party volunteers standing beside large poster displaying a photograph of their candidate and party affiliations trying one last pitch for your vote. Local charities set up food stalls and the whole place takes on a fun atmosphere. Why wouldn't you want to vote? Oh, that's right, those pesky, annoying politicians which had got the best of me when I decided that time not to vote.

@@davidparris7167 Oh, I definately think it's the right of a citizen not to vote, after all there may not be a party or candidate you wish to vote for. I believe in Belgium you have to turn up but don't have to vote, if you don't want to, unless you are handicapped or have a good reason to be exempt. I'm not in favour of compulsory voting. In Egypt its just used to legitimise a dictator... so I don't agree with what the lady in this video claims

@@clavichord The irony of what you say is that if everyone felt as you, democracy would die, and your precious ''rights of a citizen'' would be at the whim of a dictator perhaps or at best a benevolent philosopher king or maybe a cruel idealogue. Of course, I am being absurd. Never in history have such leaders appeared because one person failed to do their duty...........

@@davidparris7167 Well, I seriously doubt democracy actually exists anywhere. Whatever ideology people believe in, wether it be parliament, Chuch, monarchy, communism etc... people who want power, weath and influence will hide behind your ideology and pull the strings, manipulate it... and the gullable will then think they have power as voters... while they watch the parliamentary puppet theatre unfold...