Count me in!
OK, almost 500,000 eligible young voters aren't enrolled to vote - if they were - their votes could change the election outcome!
YOU have the power in your hands!
If you are not enrolled - you've got about 3 hours to do so!
Use this voting compass to find out which politician in your area cares about the issues you do!
(and therefore - who you should for)
DO IT!
Comments
My closest match was about 60% ALP. I'm probably closest to Greens in all but one question, though.
Still trying to definitively make up my mind, but this helped. Thanks! 🙂
I missed out on voting in the 2007 election by one week. I was devastated.
I was pretty intrigued to chat to a friend the other day who didn't really understand how the political system works in Australia, with the House of Reps and the Senate, and that we vote for a member for our electorate, not for party leaders. I was thinking it mightn't be so uncommon for young people to not really understand some of these things, because it can get pretty darn confusing!
There was a pretty good explanation of the preferential voting system on Triple J's Hack this afternoon, if anyone's keen to check it out:
https://soundcloud.com/triple-j-hack/election-101-preferential
I also came across this website, which lets you practice voting below the line (for the Senate) for your state, which is pretty cool. It means you can go in on voting day with a clear idea of how you'll direct your own preferences (if that's what you want to do):
And for a cute little comic about how voting for minor parties or independents is not a wasted vote, check this out!
http://design999.tumblr.com/post/58578193513/source-patrick-alexander
@Bay82VU wrote:
I just tried it then 🙂
My closest match was about 60% ALP. I'm probably closest to Greens in all but one question, though.
Still trying to definitively make up my mind, but this helped. Thanks! 🙂
Don't forget that preferences do matter. You don't have to just put '1' and be done. Number ALL the boxes and that way your vote goes in the direction you want it to. Maybe you put Greens at 1 and then ALP at 2 — if the Greens don't get enough '1' votes, your vote passes to the ALP instead, and so on.
I enrolled to vote about a month after I turned 16 (so, just under a year ago). Super disappointed that I can't vote this election, as I consider myself to be more politically aware than a lot of adults out there, including my parents. I'm a member of the Young Greens though, so at least I'm able to get involved in some way. 🙂
