As some of you may be aware, in Australia - voting is compulsory (and a person can be fined for not attending to vote).
Back then, I was a typical struggling university student, so when I saw taht I could get $260 for 1 day working as an election assistant - I jumped at the chance.... over the years, I was an official at 4 elections - mainly distributing ballots/checking off names, or as a ballot box guard. Afterwards, it was all hands on deck - counting and making sure every ballot was accounted for (and I mean EVERY ballot).
Checking the names, we had to ask 3 questions:
1. What is your full name?
2. What is your full address?
3. Have you voted before in this election?
Every time it would be the same, usually starting with the 3rd question - the answer I always got was "Are you kidding, once is enough!" - often with them laughing at their own joke.
I never laughed at that remark, especially after hearing it a million times....
Anyways, we always get people who make grand speeches about how compulsory voting is unethical, undemocratic... whatever.... we don't make the rules, we don't care what your opinion is and get lost, you are holding up the line.
It was funny to read ballot papers with great big speeches of the same on them... no one who makes laws reads them as we are required to pass over 'discarded or spoiled' ballots for incineration....
Also you get the peopel disposing the ballots in the bin, behind the desks, in the toilet... ewww... remember, every ballot must be accounted for!
Back then, I was a typical struggling university student, so when I saw taht I could get $260 for 1 day working as an election assistant - I jumped at the chance.... over the years, I was an official at 4 elections - mainly distributing ballots/checking off names, or as a ballot box guard. Afterwards, it was all hands on deck - counting and making sure every ballot was accounted for (and I mean EVERY ballot).
Checking the names, we had to ask 3 questions:
1. What is your full name?
2. What is your full address?
3. Have you voted before in this election?
Every time it would be the same, usually starting with the 3rd question - the answer I always got was "Are you kidding, once is enough!" - often with them laughing at their own joke.
I never laughed at that remark, especially after hearing it a million times....
Anyways, we always get people who make grand speeches about how compulsory voting is unethical, undemocratic... whatever.... we don't make the rules, we don't care what your opinion is and get lost, you are holding up the line.
It was funny to read ballot papers with great big speeches of the same on them... no one who makes laws reads them as we are required to pass over 'discarded or spoiled' ballots for incineration....
Also you get the peopel disposing the ballots in the bin, behind the desks, in the toilet... ewww... remember, every ballot must be accounted for!
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