Challenge attacks the need to vote
FINES for failing to vote could become a thing of the past and numbering those little boxes would be made optional, if one South Australian man has his way.
Anders Holmdahl has gone to the Supreme Court to fight laws that require him to cast a vote in state and federal elections.
Just weeks out from local government elections, the Daily News went to Facebook to see what readers thought about scrapping compulsory voting. And it seems that our voters' views were split straight down the middle.
Travis Sugden said taking away compulsory voting would increase the quality of candidates and make them work harder for a vote.
"I love the chance to vote, but by forcing people to vote, you actually take away the feeling of importance and turn it into something where you're being made to do it via threat of punishment," he posted.
"Make it optional.
"Force the pollies to inspire people to vote and take away this idea that even though all election preferences are nonsense, we will be punished for not voting for someone we don't like."
Lyn Prowse-Bishop took a stance in the opposite corner, saying voting should "definitely be compulsory".
"People in other countries are dying for the right to vote. They literally take their lives into their hands when turning up at polling booths," she posted.
"We should never underestimate the importance of our voice."
