OK OK I understood you, wabbit!
(see how a little editing can turn a temporary slowdown into a discussion by a wise monkey and a smegging stubborn rabbit?)
Verdampfted smegging ^^%$$ *&% ((*^%$ posts!
fbaezer, our upper house ballot papers often resemble tablecloths! Yet as big as some are, and despite the amount of complaints made, there are consistently more informal votes cast on the 6 by 4 inch house of rep ballots. Go figure.
Many years ago, (somewhere in teh 70's) in my state (and Wilso's), there was a trial of optional voting at local government elections (where it's also compulsory).
This is the lowest level of government - streets and garbage and libraries. There was quite a lot of publicity, and the results were very interesting. The conservative vote was near the usual number (I think 70-80% of usual, but not sure). The left vote, socialist and independent votes just about disappeared. I think the number was about 20%.
Surprisingly, this trial lasted only this one local government election. There was no support for it being continued or extended to state or federal elections. It'd surely give us a different country to what we currently have.
Margo, do you think the optional voting method contributed in the shift of the electorate and was thus rejected?
Wilso, how do you manage to get the tablecloth sheets into the ballot box? I'm not that good at folding, myself.
You don't have those atrange American voting machines, do you?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Teehee
And they are more table napkin size, really.
It could not have contributed to the shift in the electorate - was at a different level and very contained.
American voting machines are, for me, one of the big unsolved mysteries of life. I think they raise a lever or something.
[I've read that the newer ones fail the count "only under 1%". To me, that's a whole lot.]
Indeed - can make all the difference, to paraphrase Frost...
fbaezer
I think it didn't continue because of the huge swing to the conservatives.
In any election, the electorate is roughly divided 50/50 between assorted conservtives, and assorted socialist/environmental /others. While it may shift a bit one way or the other, and taking into account the fringe groups, elections are generally close.
The figures, in this single attempt, were roughly 4 - 1 for the conservatives. I think the effort to educate the electorate about voting, no longer compulsory, but a good idea, was just too much to consider.
Was interesting, though!
At present, we have a very conservative (Liberal) Federal government, but all the state governments are varying degrees of socialist.
Socialist! If only they were the tiniest bit so! Bless 'em, they dare not even think a wee thought of such!
