Election SC (a tale from Australia)

[Damien]

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!

[xlr82xs]

Of course, complaining about having to vote is so justified.

i mean having to spend the entire of 5 minutes once every few years at the local church/school filling out the massively complicated form (ie writing in 1 to 5 boxes) and putting it into a cardboard box ? it's verging on torture

of course the current idea about voting via sms (yes, just like on those damn "who sings the worst but has the largest breasts" tv shows) will be very popular with a percentage of the population while making the rest of us weep.

and yes, the idea about sms voting has been bandied about, to be used in conjunction with the new style of drivers licenses being rolled out in the next 18 months or so (at least in QLD, your mileage may vary)

[edible_hat]

I worked a state election in SA once. As well as the "once is enough" line, I got "I wouldn't vote now except they make you do it grumble grumble" and idiots who misunderstood the question and said "Yes I know how to vote!"

The informal votes were amusing. We had several votes for Donald Duck et al, one for "NO GUNS NO VOTES" (why do people think that turning down the one chance they have to influence the system will influence the system?), one for "You can all get f---ed" (the woman who found that one read it out loud, looked at her husband, and said "How about it honey?") and one paper airplane.

We only "lost" one House of Reps ballot, and that was found in the Senate box.

[Casino Jockey]

last federal election i was in london which meant i voted at the Australian mission there - Australia House. the problem being australia house is much more famous as the Lobby of Gringotts from the 1st Harry potter movie. as a HP nerd i thought it was funny i was voting at Gringotts.

[Damien]

I worked a state election in SA once. As well as the "once is enough" line, I got "I wouldn't vote now except they make you do it grumble grumble" and idiots who misunderstood the question and said "Yes I know how to vote!"

The informal votes were amusing. We had several votes for Donald Duck et al, one for "NO GUNS NO VOTES" (why do people think that turning down the one chance they have to influence the system will influence the system?), one for "You can all get f---ed" (the woman who found that one read it out loud, looked at her husband, and said "How about it honey?") and one paper airplane.

We only "lost" one House of Reps ballot, and that was found in the Senate box.

Oh yes, had all them, and then, muind you, I had two young females (I think they were) and an army of 80+ ladies asking me if I was available - that brightened the dreary day....

We had votes for Ozzy Osbourne, Nelson Mandela, Ossie the Ostrich..... and some delightful, yet anatomically incorrect drawings....

Great thing was, we were not required to be polite, and as a ballot box guard - we can tell them "move along please"

I left taht sucky world and entered another potential one - teaching ... 8 years in 5 schools in 2 countries - but those stories I will save for some more posts...

[Shengirl]

Compulsory voting? Interesting. Y'see, Americans can be pretty apathetic about voting, and I've worked some elections here in the USA ($100 per day, why not? Plus $25 to sit through training). I remember working a primary on a non-presidential year. Got a LOT of homework done.

[Shabo]

It's very nice, living in the US, choosing not to vote. After all, there hasn't really been anyone worth voting for here in the last 2 elections.

[Andara Bledin]

I figure for all you non-voting Americans... you get what you deserve.

You can damn well bet I'm out there every single election to do my best at damage control.

If all the people that say "my vote won't make a difference, anyway" got up off their duffs and actually voted, you can bet all those votes would add up.

....

Cripes, where'd this soapbox come from and how the heck did I end up standing on it?

^-.-^

[Gurndigarn]

I figure for all you non-voting Americans... you get what you deserve.

Yep. But after listening to the political views of some of those people who don't vote... I'm glad they don't. And no, I don't support "it doesn't matter who you vote for, just vote" campaigns, because of the large number of people who vote for the guy with the most yard signs.

[myswtghst]

I'm with you, Andara. If you don't vote, that kind of takes away your right to complain about whomever was elected, since you did nothing to affect it.

I've been voting a lot lately, even at local elections, as my mom has done work with a number of candidates/elected officials in our area and has also worked at voting sites. She always reminds me to go vote, and sometimes even bribes me with food to go vote with her.

[Broomjockey]

Sadly, I missed not only my school's council election for this year, but the city election as well. But honestly, they weren't very well publicised. I only ever saw posters for one candidate for my school's election, and we didn't even get enough candidates to make it any more than a yes/no vote. Also, they had the voting booth in the most out of the way corner of the school.

I've less reason for missing the civic, as it was merely my own isolationism that made me miss that one >_<

[Killer Bees]

I haven't voted in about 4 years. I came back from Canada and decided I couldn't be bothered. But I never complained about our elected leaders either. Apathy was very strong within me for those years. The oddest thing was, I never got fined for not participating.

I had a television political journalist friend years ago and he never voted either. To my knowledge, he's never been caught

But this election time I intend to vote. My interest in my own country has reappeared and I'm keen to vote out the current government for someone new and fresh.

[edible_hat]

Australia has some pretty remote towns with very low populations, the idea is apparently that if voting is compulsory every town must have a polling booth, wheras if it's non-compulsory the powers that be can just have booths in the big cities. Which would mean that people who want to vote would have to travel to the cities or miss out.

[Damien]

Yes, that is very true, I once was a polling official for a small town that had 600 people.... and the asshatery continued.....

I had a flashback to one time when I was a ballot box guard in a major metropolitan polling booth - one guy - ranting and raving about stuff that I will never care about (ironically politics) - came up to me and kicked the ballot boxes and in the process knocked me over....

His smirk disappeared when my 6'5 frame joined a mate of mine's (7'4 ) restrained him for the police to arrive....

I hoped he enjoyed his 6 months in the slammer

[Calud]

Yes, that is very true, I once was a polling official for a small town that had 600 people.... and the asshatery continued.....

I had a flashback to one time when I was a ballot box guard in a major metropolitan polling booth - one guy - ranting and raving about stuff that I will never care about (ironically politics) - came up to me and kicked the ballot boxes and in the process knocked me over....

His smirk disappeared when my 6'5 frame joined a mate of mine's (7'4 ) restrained him for the police to arrive....

I hoped he enjoyed his 6 months in the slammer

Sweet sweet instant 6 months lasting karma.