This is my Soapbox.
This is the place where I can get stuff off my chest!
This entry is a reproduction of an article that was in my first newsletter this year. With a Federal election not far off, it’s timely to think about what it all means.
There are many ways we can make a difference. Some easier than others.
As you are probably aware, there will be a Federal Election sometime this year. It could be as early as May or as late as November. Towards the end of last year there was a fairly major campaign encouraging people to make sure they are properly enrolled to vote at this election. This campaign was encouraging first time voters to get enrolled (you can after you turn 17) and anyone who has moved to make sure they had sent in a change of address form.
You might be wondering about my interest in this. Well it’s twofold really. You see I work for the Electoral Commission during elections (Anyone can do this. Contact your local electoral office now if you are interested). I do pre-poll voting before election day, going around to hospitals, retirement villages, hostel accommodation and nursing homes to make sure people who may have difficulty getting to a polling place and who want to vote, are able to. On Election Day I am a Polling Place Manager. In this job I see many people who are potentially disenfranchised from their right to have a say because they are not enrolled in one way or another. You may or may not be aware that the Federal government has recently changed the law, so that the rolls now close on the day that the election is announced. In the past there was a period of time after the announcement for people to update their enrolment details, but that doesn’t exist anymore. What that means for you is that if you aren’t yet on the roll because you have only recently turned 18, or if you haven’t lived at your enrolled address for the last three months, YOU CAN’T VOTE.
“So what?” I hear some of you saying.
Well, if you can’t vote, you can’t have your say and so you can’t make a difference. Again I hear the cries of:
“But I live in a “safe” seat. My one vote won’t make a difference.” Well no, maybe not on it’s own, but what about if it joined up with all the other people who wanted to see a difference as well.
The electorate I work in is a “safe” seat and I hear lots of people saying that they just voted for the status quo, because they might as well, it won’t make a difference if they vote differently. But if everyone who said that did vote the other way, then change would happen!
Don’t get me wrong. THIS IS NOT ABOUT POLITICS. I am what you would call a swinging voter (no I don’t dress in 60’s clothes and say “Groovy Baby”, though that could be fun). I just don’t support a particular party or doctrine. I make my decision at each election when I see the policies and viewpoints of the parties and individuals involved. I look for the policies that have the best interests of our country, our people and the planet at heart, so this isn’t about politics. It’s about being able to have your say effectively and it’s also about standing up for what you believe.
The other part of this is about our right to vote and have our say. I hear so many people complaining about having to give up a bit of time to do this. But it’s so easy these days. It’s not just the Saturday of the election anymore. There are also postal votes and pre-polling centres, all there to make it easier for YOU, the voter. We are so privileged to have a say in the selection of our government. Sure our system isn’t perfect (show me one that is), but in the scheme of things it’s not too bad. I have been humbled many times, when I have had the privilege of helping a new Australian citizen cast their first vote. Often they have come from countries run by dictatorships or where the right to vote is not part of the culture and they are so happy to have their say. They simply can’t understand the apathy of many Australians who take our right to vote very much for granted. During the State election, I was very lucky to be asked if an observer from the U.S. could accompany my team at a nursing home. He wanted to see how a mobile polling team worked. The reason for this was because they have nothing like this in America. If you are sick, on holidays, incapacitated in any way, you don’t get to vote. There is no process in place to help you. It just highlights how lucky we are.
And on the subject of voting; are you aware of the process for the “Above-the-Line/Below-The-Line” method of voting in the Upper Houses. Yep, it’s really easy to choose the one number in the box above the line, but have you ever thought about what that means? It means that you hand your choice of preferences over to the group you have selected. Now, that may be OK for you. They may think in the same way that you do and it may suit you just fine, but have you ever checked to see where your preferences will go? You might be surprised. You may find that the group to which you gave your vote actually supports a group to which you are diametrically opposed.
This information is not a secret. It is freely available. You just need to ask. Your polling place will have it on Election Day or you can check it out on-line beforehand at the Electoral Commission websites (AEC for federal elections or the VEC for state). You can also contact the parties or individuals and ask them directly. On Election Day at the last State election, every polling place had a copy of the preference distribution booklet. Most of the Region votes that I counted on election night were the “Above-the-Line” option, but during that day NOT ONE PERSON asked to see the preference distribution information. I’m not saying that above-the-line is a bad option. It is easy and it may be exactly how you want things to go and that’s great. I’m just saying THINK about your vote. Check the way in which the group you have chosen will distribute your preferences. Are they distributed the way you would like to see them? If not, then take the time to do the full “vote below-the-line thing”. It may take a little longer and it may be a bit tricky, but it’s worth the time. You don’t have to do it alone either. You can ask for assistance. That’s what the staff are there for and they are always happy to help you get it right. It really is important and it is getting more so as the world moves into a new era. During the count at the end of Election Day I see so many mistakes leading to informal votes that don’t count. That is such a shame, because those people gave up their time and came along with the intention of having their say and in the end they didn’t. It is so important for us all to vote and to make it count.
And remember, what you focus on expands, so when you are talking and thinking about the election, talk and think about the ones you want in government, not the ones you don’t, so that your energy is directed where you want it.
Enjoy YOUR next election.
