[An Australian reader wrote these fascinating comments. This is the first time that I've heard of voting being compulsory in a country. My own thinking, since I, like Alex Linder, don't vote, is that when people refuse to vote, that should fall into a special category, and if that number increases to a certain level then some kind of action needs to be taken. Its not a thing I've thought through properly, but I think when people REFUSE TO VOTE, that that itself is a vote against the system and it needs a special kind of treatment. I also think that voting for political parties is itself a subversion of the concept of voting. You should vote for PEOPLE. Like when Americans vote for a President. The Australian system is food for thought. Jan]

This is what the reader wrote:

Interesting. At least in Australia with compulsory voting, bad as it is, they know exactly how many votes to expect. Everyone on the electoral role has to vote or get a fine if they don’t give a valid reason. Compulsory voting does work in favour of the left though who would probably never win an election without it.