From: tas@tasman.cc.utas.edu.au (Tas van.Ommen)
Subject: Some US observations (was compulsory voting)
Organization: University of Tasmania, Australia.
Distribution: aus
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 18:31:08 GMT


It is interesting (if not always illuminating!) to read the ongoing
debate about compulsory voting in Australia.  As an Australian
living in the US, and having just survived the elections here I
am drawn to make a few comments.

I shall begin by stating my position so that the reader can "filter"
my comments with allowance for my acknowledged bias - I believe that
despite the apparent imperfections in a system which forces a
disinterested or uninformed person to vote, the alternative (non-compulsory
voting) is worse.

First, and this point has been made, it is invariably the poor and
uneducated who comprise the bulk of non-voters.  This group, for
a whole complex of reasons, becomes disenfranchised.  It is common
for such people to perceive their position as powerless, and of course
this becomes a self-fulfilling attitude.  It is not fair to lay
the blame for apathy entirely at the feet of these people by saying
that they should get out and vote - their circumstances are not
the same as the middle-class voter.  By getting such folk to a polling
booth, many who DO have political opinions will at least express them.
The price of forcing people to vote in this way is that a substantial
number will make a totally uninformed vote.  This introduces "noise"
into the measurement of the electorate's will, but I suspect that in
very, very few cases are the margins so small as to be affected by
this component of the vote.

An interesting illustration of this point comes in the form of a
proposition (referendum) which was put to the people of LA county
in the elections this week.  This proposition would have increased
police numbers in troubled areas of the city in particular (at
a cost, of course).  While favoured in the poorer areas of town,
this proposition failed due to the larger turnout in wealthier
suburbs (who presumably prefer their taxes to be used in THEIR
areas and for THEIR schools).

Another point arises from this anecdote, and that is the concentration
of power with organized community groups.  When a substantial fraction
of the population do not vote, simply getting a minority to attend
in large numbers effectively increases their representation.  This is
seen in the US with the religious right, for example.  The parties
and candidates are rewarded for seeking block votes, and special
interests can assume over-inflated attention.  Wealth in this country
already confers greater access to the political process, let us not
magnify inequities in political power by introducing new inequities
at the ballot box.

A further anecdote which illustrates another subtle concern comes from
a discussion I had with a very well educated, politically and socially aware
young professional.  When he heard that voting in Australia was compulsory
he thought a while, and said that he had worked long and hard at
examining the issues and forming his opinions in preparation to vote
and that he would be alarmed if some people were forced to vote.  This
is subtle indeed - it sounds rational, but underneath is the premise
that *I* know what is best for the poor and uneducated.  It smacks
of paternalism.  It is anyone's right to vote with as little or as
much thought as they desire.  It is the challenge of our leaders and
media to inform people about political matters.

It is the media which gives rise to my final observation.  That is,
that the media, and polls in particular, actually do more than
reflect public opinion, they affect it.  I unfortunately do not have
the reference, but this very point was made by an academic here in
a recent study by some US university.  This is particularly nasty
in the US, where actual election results begin to emerge from the
eastern states before the polls even close in California.  Voters
can be dissuaded or persuaded to vote simply on the basis of perceived
landslide/line-ball decisions in eastern states.  I suspect that
exit polls and final week polls have a similar effect.  In other
words, I think non-compulsory voting has the potential to amplify the
affect of polls on the election result.

I expect Mr. Suter will have something to say ;-).

Tas van Ommen.
email:  tas@herca.jpl.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: aus.politics