Protestantism

» redback - Compulsory voting

"Registered political parties...independent candidates...are entitled to election funding where their endorsed candidate or Senate groups receive at least 4% of the formal first preference votes."

"Payments are calculated using an indexed sum per first preference vote. At the 2007 federal election, each first preference vote was worth 210.027 cents."

As a result, nearly $AUD 45 million was paid out. The Labor Party (and new government) is the wealthiest Party but receive the same formula payout...nearly $21 mill to them, $17 mill to the losing Liberal (Howard's) Party. Their actual costs probably exceeded this. In the case of the independents, they can get back more than they spend so can be worthwhile to stand for office solely on that score?

Contrast: People vote here without the political party having to expend energy and bribes simply getting them to the polling booth. Of course there's negatives but I believe the voting public is mature enough to vote properly as their right...and for the Party they want...despite voting being legally compulsory. I'm sure the legality fades into the background for many, hopefully most.

(There are "donkey votes" (how the names are listed on a very lengthy ballot may mean the lazy voter selects the top names or above the line) ...and there's 'wasted' votes if you can't vote for the candidate you want or there is no hope of their success)
This system of public re-imbursement towards the election costs plus audit of election donations aims to contain the costs and increase accountability. There seems something unrestrained and obscene about the billions spent in a Presidential campaign that hopefully will not be repeated here when we (inevitably?) go 'Republic'.

64 percent of the voting-age citizen population, and 89 percent of the registered population."

My brain just imploded trying to find comparable data. I understood we have a higher percentage than you of those eligible to vote...who have registered thus vote. But I can't track it down today.

-- posted by redback