Australian Politics and Policy - Senior, 2019a

Electoral systems
Figure 1 Response to the question ‘Do you think that voting at federal elections should be
compulsory,ordoyouthinkthatpeopleshouldonlyhavetovoteiftheywantto?’.Source:
Cameron and McAllister 2016.
As it compels voting, the Australian government has consistently legislated
to make it as easy as possible. This has included weekend (Saturday) election
days, expansive access to voter registration (although limited to a deadline of one
week prior to an election), ample polling locations and short queues at polling
booths. Recent reforms have expanded voters’ opportunities to cast a ballot before
election day, either by mail or in person. By convention as much as legislative
or institutional design, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has worked
to lower the burdens of voting within the constraints of maintaining electoral
integrity (which explains its the reluctance to introduce election-day registration
opportunities, for instance).
Australian Election Study data since 1967 reveals remarkably high levels of
support for compulsory voting within Australia. Early iterations of the study found
that in 1967 and 1969 three-quarters of the population believed ‘compulsory voting
is better’ than allowing people to vote if they want. By 1979, that number had
fallen slightly, but 69 per cent of Australians still preferred compulsory to voluntary
voting. In 1987, 33 per cent of Australians ‘strongly favoured’ compulsory voting,
31 per cent ‘favoured’ it, 3 per cent did not mind either way, 13 per cent favoured
voluntary voting and 20 per cent ‘strongly favoured’ voluntary voting. Since that
time, support for Australia’s compulsory voting laws has remained remarkably high
(Figure 1).
How ‘compulsory’ is compulsory voting?
While the vast majority of eligible voters in Australia fulfil their legal obligation
to vote at each election, there are two means of easily abstaining from casting
a valid vote. The first method is to attend a polling booth, either on or before
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