Rumors and Truth

[ZenGum]

Have you lot considered compulsory voting?

Down Under, you must turn up, get your name crossed off the roll, take your ballot paper into a booth, wave a pencil over it, and put it in the ballot box. (EDIT: There is no machine counting - poll workers do that by hand - but we almost always know who the new government is within 6 hours of the poll closing. There is a paper trail for a thorough count and any recounts that may be called for.)

It is also illegal to deliberately cast an informal vote, but it is a gazillion times more illegal to try to find out how someone else voted. So in effect, you have to turn up, but you don't really have to vote for any particular candidate.

Having worked at elections, a few people ( <5%) do this.

I like this because without compulsory voting, moderates are less likely to vote, while extremists are more likely, and extremist whackos (OMG, where did I get that phrase?) are over-represented in the final result.

The fine for not voting is $20.