Comment on Where will my vote go?
null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 days ago
I’m adamant that they need to feel some pain
Of course you can develop your own decision on how to vote but this sounds frustratingly similar to the protest voters from the US election. Picking a team or punishing a team is a very American notion.
The basic idea is to consider the representatives in your electoral division, consider their policies, their character, and select the one you feel will best represent your own interests and the interests of the people you care about.
For example, if you review the local candidates and determine that the Nationals candidate will best represent your interests then it doesn’t make any sense to vote for an independent just because a National candidate would ultimately support Dutton to form government.
Of course you can develop your own decision on how to vote but this sounds frustratingly similar to the protest voters from the US election.
It is quite literally impossible for those protest voters to exist under our voting system in Australia. Both because we have mandatory, as well as preferential, voting.
I’m not so sure? Are 4th or even 3rd preferences ever counted? If you wanted to “withhold your vote” then just ensure that no one with any likelihood of winning is in your first 4 preferences.
Regardless, it’s the attitude that bugs me more than anything. The US is an absolute god damn shit show and I’ll acknowledge I just get kind of triggered when anything has a whiff of americanism.
The point I was trying to make is I suppose intangible, wistful, and perhaps idealistic… but I just wish Australian politics wasn’t about picking a tribe that you’re going to line up behind and was more focused on policy and representation.
Are 4th or even 3rd preferences ever counted?
What? Yes, they are counted incredibly often, if not always. For an example, here’s the preference flow for the Division of Melbourne in 2022:
They were still counted even when Adam Bandt won in the fourth round. If you don’t think the parties look at the rest of that flow, at which voters they might need to court to win next time, at what candidates might stand the best chance in a seat, than you’re stark-raving mad.
…but I just wish Australian politics wasn’t about picking a tribe that you’re going to line up behind and was more focused on policy and representation.
I think the Murdoch media, and by extension Fairfax now, and every other major outlet, pushes a narrative about that sort of tribalism. But out in the real world, from what I’ve seen, that’s just not the case. The biggest example of this is media and polling pushing a two-party preferred system when we live in a preferential one. Major media isn’t daring to talk about the fairly likely outcome that we end up with a minority government. Something I personally feel is the best outcome for representing Australia equally.
That’s interesting.
I’ll admit that’s not quite how I thought preferences were counted, but I’m not sure it really supports your point?
If I’m reading that correctly, only 10% of ballots had their 3rd (or more) preference counted.
My original suggestion of casting a protest ballot by keeping the favourite candidates in the lowest preference still works. Although it’s not really a distinct act of protest so much as just the intended operation of the preference system.
That’s a rose tinted glasses now l view on the local impact a federal candidate has, vs the impact of the elected government.
Ignore the word punish. If you don’t like lib/nat wreck and sell plans, don’t vote national no matter what promise they makes to the electorate - it’s highly unlikely they have the ability to hold up their end of the bargain as it’ll be a party decision.
Bad example. Nationals don’t actually represent the interests they claim to. They only continue to be a power because of generational inertia.
Fine. It’s an example. “If” this candidate is the best then vote for them. “if” they don’t represent the interests they claim to then they’re not going to be the best, are they.
I would never vote for anyone right of centre, it just made my point seem a little disingenuous if I was to hold out the greens as an example. OP had already expressed distaste for Liberal so Nationals were first to mind.
I understand.
Zagorath@aussie.zone 5 days ago
Sure, that’s technically true. But the fact that a Nationals candidate would support Dutton is part of how they represent your interests (or fail to). If you don’t want Dutton to form Government, voting for the Nationals candidate is a grievous error. Because we have very strong party discipline in this country.
null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 days ago
You’re right of course. Which PM is appointed is obviously a function of who is elected as your representative.
However, the way the system is supposed to work is that you select the local representative from the party that has the policies that best align with your own interests.
Voting either ALP or LNP as a proxy for Albo or Dutton based on the vibe might seem like the same thing but it’s really not. That’s how my mum and dad, (dependent on the age pension from Centrelink) always vote LNP against their own interests - voting based on the vibe rather than looking at policies.
The point I was trying to make to OP is to look at the policies and their local interests rather than the personalities of the people who might be PM.