Failing to vote while overseas

[anchew]

Unfortunately I think that the COMMONWEALTH ELECTORAL ACT only applies to Federal Elections.

Is there an option to take the fine to court? I'd imagine that a Magistrate will throw the fine out since JNR#1 was overseas so couldn't vote at all.

 

[GMT]

One of my pet peeves is the fact that we live in a democratic country and we are forced to vote.

I have been out of the country during an election and came back to Oz when the notice was due. Sent off the notice giving some excuse (conscientious objector, I think), called them and told them it's on the way, sorry I just received the letter and it was all good.

 

[muppet]

One of my pet peeves is the fact that we live in a democratic country and we are forced to vote.

It is only compulsory to attend and collect a ballot, not to vote. What you do with that ballot is your business. You're free to put it in blank. Throw it out. Smoke it. Whatever nonsense you want. Is it that hard to show up once every three years?

 

[nickykim]

Had a quick look at the Victorian act and unless you are away for a significant period ( years) you are required to vote. If you are willing to risk a potentially higher fine, wait and you may find the fine is not enforced as Councils find the process too time consuming.

 

[Sprucegoose]

It is only compulsory to attend and collect a ballot, not to vote. What you do with that ballot is your business. You're free to put it in blank. Throw it out. Smoke it. Whatever nonsense you want. Is it that hard to show up once every three years?

True and thats the definition of voting in a free democracy!

 

[albatross710]

I missed an election when travelling overseas many years ago. My explanation included that I was overseas and that the election had been called while I was away. Unable to know about it or thus respond. I included a photocopy of my passport stamps.

 

[robd]

I missed an election when travelling overseas many years ago. My explanation included that I was overseas and that the election had been called while I was away. Unable to know about it or thus respond. I included a photocopy of my passport stamps.

I've been reading up on the Council voting rules, and the valid reasons for not voting are very limited. Apparently, we are all supposed to know that the rules are different for Federal and Local Council. In any event, there was no advice of the impending election date received prior to departing overseas. Jnr#1 was issued with a US Student Visa with dates for travel, registered with DFAT showing addresses of stays with dates and passed through immigration departing the country well before the date of the election was announced AFAIK. The government knew where she was.

 

[anat0l]

It is only compulsory to attend and collect a ballot, not to vote. What you do with that ballot is your business. You're free to put it in blank. Throw it out. Smoke it. Whatever nonsense you want. Is it that hard to show up once every three years?

To show up and collect that ballot every three years would be giving a joke of a political institution too much endorsement than they already deserve (viz. none).

If not for that law with a fine attached to it.... it also ***** me to tears to turn up at the polls and have to walk through a sea of trolls toting how to vote flyers. Come on... we're all not stupid - we may have an inadequate education system but we are all well aware on how to vote - we don't need a bunch of maggot shills telling us. And those that don't know how to vote probably don't know enough to know who they want to vote for in the first place.

I plan to be away (out of the country) for this year's federal election. I'm still going to send back a dud vote, though...preferably with a note that they can choke on it.

 

[medhead]

Umm it is not literally a how to vote card. It is a how to vote for X party card. Sorry but no matter how intelligent we are we can not know how to vote along party lines without being given said information.

On a related question (and if you had of said this instead) I'm intelligent enough that I know how I'm going to vote that I don't need a how to vote card. Out of consideration to those people who are committed enough to the political process that they freely give up their time, I have no problem politely saying "no thank you" as I walk past them.

 

[oz_mark]

One of my pet peeves is the fact that we live in a democratic country and we are forced to vote.

There are plenty of arguments for and against compulsory voting, but I just see it as a civic duty - much like the compulsory taxes I pay, the compulsory education I had, the compulsory jury duty I turned up for. At least during election campaigns, the debate is on issues, rather than on trying to convince people to go and vote....

 

[Awesom Andy]

One of the first things that I did when I left AU due to work was taking myself off the electoral roll. Never looked back since.

 

[Archphoto]

Whilst I know you can go to your local Oz Embassy to vote in a Federal election (if you *really* wanted to), are they set up to do the same for a State Election?? Kind of hard to vote if you're out of the country and there is nowhere you can actually do your "civic" duty. . . . .

I'm no longer on the electoral roll either - as AA stated above, I did the exact same thing. In the past 15 years, I've voted twice - 1x for Federal and one for State (SA) - didn't time my returns at all well and basically had no idea what was happening, with regard to any party's policies. Showed up, had my name crossed off, and put blank slips into the correct boxes.

Every other time, I've been out of the country, eventually queried for "non-voting", informed them that I was OS and that was the end of it.

 

[dajop]

Whilst I know you can go to your local Oz Embassy to vote in a Federal election (if you *really* wanted to), are they set up to do the same for a State Election?? Kind of hard to vote if you're out of the country and there is nowhere you can actually do your "civic" duty. . . . .

At the last Victorian election, ballot papers were sent to me via post and I returned them via post. I can't actually remember if I could have gone in to the embassy or not. It was a very convenient way of voting.

Unlike many, I don't see voting as an inconvenience, instead a privilege and even though I am overseas, I still own property, still pay taxes and will return to Australia at some point. If people think it's an pain in the ## perhaps they should be struck off forever. It's just a shame that our political system is stuck in a quagmire of career politicians (be they greens, labor or LNP) taking the path from student union activism to advisor to candidate, where political astuteness is the core competency rather than managerial competency or leadership qualities.

 

[redcow]

As my wife haven't been home in March since 1991 and March is a popular month for elections we have missed numerous elections and have been unable to get postal votes because sometimes the polls haven't closed before we left We have just replied that we were overseas and that was always accepted
John

 

[Archphoto]

I did actually request a postal ballot at one stage (Federal Election) - was told they weren't printed and I'd have to wait until they were done (about 14 days IIRC). Told them not to bother sending as I was leaving in 5 days, and wouldn't be back for at least 3 months. Could have voted in SIN, but work tied me up from well before dawn to well after dusk - couldn't fit it in with the schedule, so I didn't even bother trying to wrangle transport etc.

It is difficult if you are away, and don't know what's happening back in AU - I didn't know about Rudd being removed by Gillard until a friend told me, and then had no idea about the election that followed, until I was downing my cappuccino in the SYD Business Lounge and it flashed up on SkyNews. First stop in ADL was a polling booth - when all I really wanted, was an ice cold beer.

 

[jgm]

IMHO the only thing compulsory voting has achieved is to make politicians even more lazy. In my youth, we would have candidates knocking on the door for local elections. Now that they have all gone to compulsory, in the 30+ years we have lived here we have only ever had 1 candidate call (many of those there was ALWAYS someone home). We are in what has become a marginal electorate over the last few elections. I hear heaps of "har working pollies" claiming to have door knocked every house in their electorate, but my personal experience would seem to suggest that this is just more lies.

 

[anat0l]

In my youth, we would have candidates knocking on the door for local elections.

If voting were not compulsory, I'm not sure they would bring back candidate door-knocking. They'll just keep pushing the same huge TV ad campaigns, sporting the same ex-church choir jingle singers.

 

[dajop]

IMHO the only thing compulsory voting has achieved is to make politicians even more lazy.

Maybe the answer is to change electoral laws to formally include an "Opt out" or "Don't care" or "No-one" box. If that's greater than 30% then back to the polls, try harder .....

 

[IrishPete]

To the original poster, put another way, you have falsely stayed on the Electoral Roll in Australia while overseas for an extended period?

Would you also be complaining about late payment charges for any bills that also arrived in the swag of mail? When you move, whether within Australia or to somewhere else, there are certain responsibilities. You clearly knew to let the ATO know.

Anyone on the electoral roll in Australia is free not to vote, but in my opinion they then lose any right to complain about anything political - taxes, rates, wars. Voting informally at least sends some kind of message.

Pete

 

[markis10]

To the original poster, put another way, you have falsely stayed on the Electoral Roll in Australia while overseas for an extended period?

Can you explain your logic there, given you can be overseas for up to 6 years and legally be on the roll and eligible?