Why is Australia the only "core anglosphere" country where voting is mandatory?

Lafari@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – 112 points –
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The idea gets raised periodically here, especially since the huge drop in turnout starting in 1997.

There's a Research Briefing on it in the Commons Library.

I haven't read it but it's a terrible idea. Just another way for the parties to avoid having to offer anything worth voting for.

Not really. Plus we have alot more independents/minor parties due to our preferential voting system that people can vote for. What it does is forces people to are more about politics and policy

I think it forces a lot of idiots to just pick a box when they aren't informed on politics at all. Probably skews the numbers a bit tbh.

Idiots are citizens too unfortunately, and their opinions matter. There are no fines for submitting an invalid vote (or if they exist they aren't enforceable due to the anonymity of the ballot)

I haven't read it but it's a terrible idea.

"Yeah sure I don't know what I'm talking about, but here's my strong opinion anyways"