AllieC
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,086 
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Post by AllieC on Jul 2, 2016 6:20:46 GMT
It has been funny hearing coverage about how long the lead up has been when you compare it to they US.
A couple of things I love about our elections:
* Very few posts about it on Facebook
* I would have no idea of how the great majority of my friends and family vote
* Even though we have compulsory voting (and this election a lot of people feel they don't want to vote for either party), I am seeing a lot of posts today about appreciating the privilege of democracy
* The sausage sizzles - even the hashtag #democracy sausage is trending LOL.
I feel that we will end up with the same government. A lot of people that may have voted for change may have changed their minds in the wake of the uncertainty of Brexit
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sueg
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,416
Location: Munich
Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Jul 2, 2016 6:25:23 GMT
As an Aussie expat, I've been following the campaign from my side of the world, mainly through my two children still living there.
I have to say I am a proud mum today - both are 'working' the Polling Booths. One is a volunteer for a party, and is doing the 'How to Vote' cards, then staying on as a vote scrutineer for the count. The other is working for the AEC in overseeing a booth, and then counting this evening. My son who is working for a party (won't say which one) agrees with you - he thinks Labor will pick up seats, but not enough to change the government.
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Post by corinne11 on Jul 2, 2016 7:04:25 GMT
After 40yrs here, my husband recently became an Australian citizen. He is handing out how to vote cards too and is doing 2 hrs of scrutineering after the polls close.
I have just come home from selling sausages ( and a new item- bacon and egg sandwiches!) at our school as I am a member of our fundraising committee.
Unfortunately, I agree that the Coalition will probably win, I think a lot of people will vote based on "better the devil you know"
Corinne |
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Post by gar on Jul 2, 2016 7:09:35 GMT
It has been funny hearing coverage about how long the lead up has been when you compare it to they US. A couple of things I love about our elections: * Very few posts about it on Facebook * I would have no idea of how the great majority of my friends and family vote * Even though we have compulsory voting (and this election a lot of people feel they don't want to vote for either party), I am seeing a lot of posts today about appreciating the privilege of democracy * The sausage sizzles - even the hashtag #democracy sausage is trending LOL. I feel that we will end up with the same government. A lot of people that may have voted for change may have changed their minds in the wake of the uncertainty of BrexitWell it would be some small comfort to know that lessons have been learned even if it won't help us out of the mountain of do-do we're currently sitting in  |
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RedSquirrelUK
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,899
Location: The UK's beautiful West Country
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Post by RedSquirrelUK on Jul 2, 2016 7:20:49 GMT
 Good luck today, and enjoy the sausages!
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Post by AussieMeg on Jul 2, 2016 7:59:06 GMT
I have just come home from selling sausages ( and a new item- bacon and egg sandwiches!) at our school as I am a member of our fundraising committee.
Wait, what? That's a bit flash - I want to live in your electorate! We were up the country and voted absentee, and they didn't even have a sausage sizzle there. How long was that bloody Senate paper?!?! It was nearly taller than me! Very few posts about it on Facebook * I would have no idea of how the great majority of my friends and family vote DSO was in the booth next to me and I was calling out to him "Make sure you vote for such-and-such in the senate" or "Make sure you DON'T vote for so-and-so". He didn't appreciate my input and wouldn't even tell me who he voted for. A number of my friends - the left leaning ones anyway - have posted a bit on FB over the last week or so. I have a few friends who would have voted for the Coalition (and I'm still friends with them!  ) but they seem to be far more private about it. I wonder how many people voted for the Pirate Party in the senate, just for shits and giggles?  |
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wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,020
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Jul 2, 2016 8:01:23 GMT
Read this piece about the sausage tradition www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-36692402After reading this sentence to my DH, "The tradition is so popular that two websites have been created to tell voters where to find polling booths with sausage sizzles and cake stalls", he asked does that mean people can vote at any polling station or are they voting in a predefined location and then travelling to buy a sausage roll? Great fundraising idea. |
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wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,020
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Jul 2, 2016 8:09:14 GMT
I have just come home from selling sausages ( and a new item- bacon and egg sandwiches!) at our school as I am a member of our fundraising committee.
Wait, what? That's a bit flash - I want to live in your electorate! We were up the country and voted absentee, and they didn't even have a sausage sizzle there. How long was that bloody Senate paper?!?! It was nearly taller than me! Very few posts about it on Facebook * I would have no idea of how the great majority of my friends and family vote DSO was in the booth next to me and I was calling out to him "Make sure you vote for such-and-such in the senate" or "Make sure you DON'T vote for so-and-so". He didn't appreciate my input and wouldn't even tell me who he voted for. A number of my friends - the left leaning ones anyway - have posted a bit on FB over the last week or so. I have a few friends who would have voted for the Coalition (and I'm still friends with them! ) but they seem to be far more private about it. I wonder how many people voted for the Pirate Party in the senate, just for shits and giggles? I'll see your Pirate Party and raise you the Monster Raving Looney Party in the UK  |
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sueg
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,416
Location: Munich
Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Jul 2, 2016 8:11:08 GMT
he asked does that mean people can vote at any polling station or are they voting in a predefined location and then travelling to buy a sausage roll? You can vote at any Polling Station. Most people vote in their own electorate (constituency), but if you are travelling or for any reason outside your area, you can go to an 'Absentee Voters' table and vote their. I think (it's been a while since I actually voted in Australia) that you can only do this in your home state. If you are going to be outside your home state, you would do a Pre-poll vote, or postal vote beforehand. As many Polling places are at schools, it is a great way for the Parents Associations to fund raise. |
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Post by AussieMeg on Jul 2, 2016 8:35:41 GMT
he asked does that mean people can vote at any polling station or are they voting in a predefined location You can vote at any Polling Station. Most people vote in their own electorate (constituency), but if you are travelling or for any reason outside your area, you can go to an 'Absentee Voters' table and vote their. I know I mentioned in my post that I voted absentee, but it was called a "Declaration Vote", which I hadn't heard before. Mind you, it's been many many years since I've had to vote absentee. |
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sueg
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,416
Location: Munich
Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Jul 2, 2016 8:52:40 GMT
You can vote at any Polling Station. Most people vote in their own electorate (constituency), but if you are travelling or for any reason outside your area, you can go to an 'Absentee Voters' table and vote their. I know I mentioned in my post that I voted absentee, but it was called a "Declaration Vote", which I hadn't heard before. Mind you, it's been many many years since I've had to vote absentee. Interesting. I haven't voted in Australia for over 6 years, now I'm living OS, and even longer since I voted Absentee. Both the boys voted in their home electorates, as they were working booths there - younger son almost forgot, despite being there since polls opened! DH was in Sweden last week, and the Aus Embassy is in the same building as the company he works for. He said they were all set up Monday morning for voting there. |
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hannahruth
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,687
Location: Adelaide, Australia
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Post by hannahruth on Jul 2, 2016 9:34:56 GMT
All I can say is thank G*d it's over!!
Eight weeks is way too long to have to listen to the waffle and the television time taken up with political interviews is appalling. One can only tolerate so much.
Mind you you the next three years will be an interesting ride for Australia without factoring in any international circumstances. To me this election has been a bit too personal - by that I mean the person is being attacked not the party or the politics.
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AllieC
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,086
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Post by AllieC on Jul 2, 2016 9:46:12 GMT
Read this piece about the sausage tradition www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-36692402After reading this sentence to my DH, "The tradition is so popular that two websites have been created to tell voters where to find polling booths with sausage sizzles and cake stalls", he asked does that mean people can vote at any polling station or are they voting in a predefined location and then travelling to buy a sausage roll? Great fundraising idea. Ye some people will go to a polling station with the sausage sizzle in preference to another LOL. Very uncommon for the sausage to be in a roll too, normally they are in a slice of white bread and you fold them over  |
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Post by corinne11 on Jul 2, 2016 10:01:22 GMT
Read this piece about the sausage tradition www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-36692402After reading this sentence to my DH, "The tradition is so popular that two websites have been created to tell voters where to find polling booths with sausage sizzles and cake stalls", he asked does that mean people can vote at any polling station or are they voting in a predefined location and then travelling to buy a sausage roll? Great fundraising idea. I didn't vote in my electorate which was just as well. Apparently there was NO sausage sizzle there!! I voted at the school I work at- just waited for a slow moment in the line and filled out a Declaration form. Didn't even have to show my IDQ We decided to try the bacon and egg sandwich because we sell them at our Big Breakfast (a fundraising breakfast for our students and community) and they are really popular and at $4 compared to $2 for a sausage we made more money. We normally sell cupcakes too but there was a bit of a kerfuffle over whether we are allowed to sell them so we ended up selling Freddo Frogs instead! Corinne |
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Post by AussieMeg on Jul 2, 2016 13:32:12 GMT
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hannahruth
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,687
Location: Adelaide, Australia
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Post by hannahruth on Jul 2, 2016 13:55:44 GMT
It is 8+ hours since the close of the polls and by now we would have some clear indication of which party has won and who will be leading the country.
Well not tonight and we may not have an outcome for the next day or so at least. The commentators are even predicting that there will be no clear winner on the two party preferred votes and we may have to return to the polls before the end of the year.
Come on Australia you had ONE job!!
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basketdiva
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,649
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Post by basketdiva on Jul 2, 2016 15:24:46 GMT
but this is what you get when voting is compulsory
Do they really fine people? And if so, is it a large enough fine to stop repeat offenders?
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sueg
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,416
Location: Munich
Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Jul 2, 2016 15:28:29 GMT
but this is what you get when voting is compulsoryDo they really fine people? And if so, is it a large enough fine to stop repeat offenders? Yes, they do fine people. We had a mix-up once, and DH got a letter telling him he had to pay - luckily he was able to prove he had voted eventually. This is from the AEC website. To me, $20 is not really a huge deterrent if you really have an objection to voting. Then again, you can also just turn up, get your name marked off and put a blank paper into the ballot box too. No way they can prevent that, and no fine either. |
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Post by AussieMeg on Jul 3, 2016 3:33:59 GMT
but this is what you get when voting is compulsoryDo they really fine people? And if so, is it a large enough fine to stop repeat offenders? Yes, they do fine people. We had a mix-up once, and DH got a letter telling him he had to pay - luckily he was able to prove he had voted eventually. This is from the AEC website. To me, $20 is not really a huge deterrent if you really have an objection to voting. Then again, you can also just turn up, get your name marked off and put a blank paper into the ballot box too. No way they can prevent that, and no fine either. Wow, $20 is nothing! DSO and I once forgot to vote in a state election and our fine was over $70. Which we didn't pay so it then went up to over $100.  |
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tincin
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,378
Jul 25, 2014 4:55:32 GMT
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Post by tincin on Jul 3, 2016 4:41:36 GMT
Bite me! Oh I'm sorry did I actually type that out? I am so sick of our political system I could vomit. It seems one campaign is barely over and the winners are already campaigning for their reelection. I can only yearn for limited time election campaigns.
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) but they seem to be far more private about it. 
