Voting in Australia is compulsory. If you are 18 years of age and over, you must be registered to vote and then when you are legally required to vote. If you don’t vote you will be fined. It seems slightly contradictory that in a democracy, voting is compulsory. It’s like being granted a right and then being forced to use it, rather than having a right available and making a choice on whether you want to exercise it. Having said all of that, I am very grateful to be living in a democracy and to have the power to vote. After all, women fought hard to have a legal personhood and voice of their own. I am more than happy to exercise that right 🙂
So tomorrow is voting day and I look forward to having my say count, hopefully toward a better future, where people are valued above profit. Not quite sure how that utopian ideal fits in with a capitalist democracy, but off to vote I will dutifully go. xo