by Eric J Taylor

Created on: February 15, 2009

Why is Australia a better country to live in than the United States?

Australia is one of the few countries on Earth with mandatory voting. Before we proceed, however, we should clarify one point that is often misunderstood. What is mandatory voting? Under the Australian voting system for the Federal government and the various state governments, all citizens aged 18 years and over are required to have their name placed on the electoral roles. Once on those electoral roles, they are required attend a polling booth on Election Day, unless they have lodged an absentee vote. The law does not mention the casting of the vote.

You enter the polling booth is recorded, have your attendance recorded and then each eligible voter is given the necessary ballot papers. They are then able to cast their vote in secret. How the citizen then casts their vote is their own choice. If the voter believes that all candidates are incompetent, they have the right to vote for none of them and place a blank ballot paper into the box. As a citizen who takes my right to vote seriously, I have occasionally selected this option, but statistics do show that the number of electors who do this is minimal.

The argument against mandatory voting is freedom of choice, but it is always the parties that believe they will lose fewer voters that push this argument. Their underlying reasoning is an attempt to gain more power.

Many in Australia often take an interest in overseas elections, particularly those in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. During the most recent United States Presidential election, the lunacy of voluntary voting was highlighted by ridiculous amounts of money wasted by both major parties attempting to inspire the population to participate. Had voting been mandatory, the efforts of both parties would have directed to why the population should vote for them, rather than will they vote.

The voluntary voting that occurred in the United States Presidential election in 2000 gave the world George W. Bush. Had voting been mandatory in the United States at that time, the world we live in today would probably be a significantly different place. This does not suggest that it would be a better world, but it is highly likely that he would not have won that election. The responses to the events that occurred would have been different and the results coming from them would not see the world as it is today. But that is history which cannot be changed.

Initially voting was granted to a selection of the population, initially the "landed gentry" and later to only males. At this level, voting was a privilege. As democracy matured and voting was granted to all, it is often deemed to be a right.

In our societies, we have many responsibilities that are mandatory. We have no choice but to pay taxes set by the governments to provide us with the services that we require. We must obey the laws of the country we are in. If we wish to drive a car, we must obtain the necessary licence. There are many other compulsory requirements in our life.

In a true democracy, voting must reflect the will of all citizens. It is neither a privilege nor a right. Voting in a true democracy is a duty and must be mandatory.

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