Diana Said:

Voting is compulsory here in Australia. What happens if you do not vote. What if you haven't voted ever?

We Answered:

Actually it is not compulsory to vote in Australian elections. What is compulsory is (a) that you register to vote and (b) that you turn up to vote on election day. It is perfectly acceptable, without penalty, to spoil your ballet paper. If you dont turn up to vote, you'll receive a fairly polite form letter. At this point, you can settle the matter by paying a $15 fine or offering any number of excuses, including illness (no note from your doctor required), travel, religious objections, or just plain forgetfulness. For most people, the matter ends here. In most elections, about a half-million registered voters don't come to the polls. Ninety-five percent of them offer a valid excuse, and the matter ends there. Five percent pay a fine.

A few hundred cases each election actually end up in court. Those who refuse to pay the fine or offer a plausible excuse face escalating threats. The fine jumps to $37 and, in extreme cases, a brief prison sentence is imposed. But the Australian government clearly doesn't want to imprison a lot of its citizens for not voting. There have been only a few cases of Aussies going to jail over this in the past few decades—all conscientious objectors courting arrest. A significant percentage of Australians—about 15 percent of them—don't bother to register at all. The government doesn't go after these people, reserving fines and prosecutions only for those who register and don't show up on Election Day. Australia has an 80% plus registration rate which is very high compared to other democracies.)

Lloyd Said:

is it true that there is some max age limit to enroll in voting in Australia?

We Answered:

No maximum age as voting in Australia is compulsory.

One of the most well-known compulsory voting systems is in Australia. All Australian citizens over the age of 18 (except those of unsound mind or those convicted of serious crimes) must be registered to vote and show up at the poll on election day. Australians who do not vote are subject to fines although those who were ill or otherwise incapable of voting on election day can have their fines waived.

Matthew Said:

Are there consequences for not enrolling to vote in Australia (nsw)?

We Answered:

The electoral role is not just to vote: it also gives you the opportunity to be called up for jury service.

Remember, voting is not just for the Federal election, its the state and local elections as well.

Brent Said:

What should be done about low voter turn out?

We Answered:

I don't think so. If people don't want to vote, why make them? Will it mean anything if they just pick random people because they don't want to be there?

Claude Said:

Is it legal in Australia *not* to enroll to vote?

We Answered:

You can even select your party affiliation and still decline to vote. There is nothing that compels you to register to vote or, once registered, to actually vote. And no agency is going to come after you for that