Political interference is a possibility; the Jim Crow laws post-Civil War are an obvious example, but some of the Floridian issues of the 2000 election indicate it's not a dead issue.

Or the NeoCon voter challenges in Washington State last year.

Political interference is a possibility; the Jim Crow laws post-Civil War are an obvious example, but some of the Floridian issues of the 2000 election indicate it's not a dead issue.

Or the NeoCon voter challenges in Washington State last year.

Or Ohio's Secretary of State investing in a voting machine company.

As some additional material, Wikipedia has stuff on both the Australian electoral system (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_electoral_system) and compulsory voting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_voting), if anyone's interested.

Do you think that the American culture will support the low amount of declining voters and spoiled ballots if the vote were mandatory? Or would the culture support it in time? For how long would things get worse before they got better?

I'm not sure. I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying there. What's declining, the number of voters or the number of non-voters? Re spoiled ballots, I myself am in favour of including a "No Preference" option on the ballot (which of course just formalises the de facto option of entering a spoiled ballot), but I don't know how anyone else would feel. For myself, I think it would be valuable information to be able to distinguish between people who genuinely don't have a preference and those who do but just felt the personal cost of registering it outweighed the benefit.

If I didn't want to vote now, fining me $100 is unlikely to get me to cast an informed vote, if I cast one at all and don't decide to just pay up for the privilege of not being bothered.

Under the Australian system, you would have the right to make that choice. The effect of compulsory voting on voter turnout suggests you're in a small minority, but I would certainly support your right to make that call.

but I would certainly support your right to decide a quarter hour of your time is worth $100 to you.

It only takes 15 minutes to vote in Australia?

Can we have that system?

It only takes 15 minutes to vote in Australia?

How long does it take in the US to send off a postal vote?

I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying there. What's declining, the number of voters or the number of non-voters?

We're even, because I don't understand your question. I didn't say anything was declining.

What I mean by "worse" is the idea that if I have to show up (because I'm not going to pay up) and I'm no more informed that I was before voting was mandatory what good is my vote then? At what point does your voter turnout actually vote based on something other than primacy or euphonious names, or perceived ethnic heritage, or a bunch of other things that are unrelated to platform? How long before the voters become even vaguely educated? Also, is random voting more likely than simply spoiling a ballot?

The effect of compulsory voting on voter turnout suggests you're in a small minority, but I would certainly support your right to decide a quarter hour of your time is worth $100 to you.

Me, a minority again?

When did Australia institute mandatory voting? Do you have turnout numbers from just before then until the numbers started levelling out?

How long does it take in the US to send off a postal vote?

What's a postal vote? Is that like an absentee ballot?

Typically you can only vote absentee if you have some reason why you can't make it to the polls on election day.

It only takes 15 minutes to vote in Australia?

It's never taken me that long here - how many times are you voting?

It's never taken me that long here - how many times are you voting?

Heh. This is Chicago....

Well, it usually takes me about half an hour. But I was thinking of the people who had to wait in line eight hours to vote....

It only takes 15 minutes to vote in Australia?

Can we have that system?

When I lived in the burbs, it was maybe that long, not including the 5 minute drive to the church or school where the polling station was.

Less now that I live in deep population density-land, because they put a polling station in my building.

Voter turnout is steadily dropping in Canadia, as well, however. Down to 60% or so, last couple of elections.