By Iram Shahzadi, a law student at the University of South Australia, with a strong passion for human rights and social justice.
‘Majorities in many countries have learned that the kind of society and the kind of world they want for their families - with health, education and employment for all, a clean environment; and international peace will not emerge simply through the free play of economic self-interest in the marketplace’.
Australia is recognised around the world as an example of a successful social democracy, which aims to provide equal opportunity for employment, individual respect, and access to basic human rights and a secure and healthy environment. However, to protect and promote these aims, it is important that everyone with our society feels connected to the democratic institutions that are making decisions about their lives. Local government play a crucial role in fostering and growing healthy communities and provides range of services to citizens such as ensuring safe roads, accessible libraries, playgrounds and support services for families, older people and marginalised communities.
Local councils helps to give localised meaning to the social contract by collecting taxes from local homes owners and distributing resources from both federal and state government in return for citizen adherence to local by laws and regulations. However, when citizens and communities fail to actively participate in the election of local government members or councillors or fail to recognise the legitimacy or relevance of law government decision making in their lives, the conditions for a health social democracy are also threatened. This is a live issue in South Australia where low voter turnout in council elections is a persistent concern, an average participation of 33.7% over the past two decades. This has led scholars and advocates to argue for in the introduction of compulsory voting in local elections in South Australia. The question I am interested in exploring is – will such a reform enhance our social democracy?
Legitimacy through Participation
Research conducted by Australian National University suggests that political systems with high voter participation are considered more valid and responsive to the electorate's needs compare to lower. Brennan has found that governments in places where compulsory voting is implemented are more likely to allocate funds towards the health sector and this demonstrates their greater concern for citizens, promoting equality and access to medical treatment. This aligns with social democracy value to provide equal opportunity and social services including health care and welfare. The evidence suggests that implementing a compulsory voting model enhances social democracy by enhancing community services.
Can Compulsory Voting in Local Elections Advance Social Justice?
Low voter turnout can lead to a situation where elected officials represent a minority, rather than the majority of recorded voters. This often results in the needs of non-voters being overlooked. Research highlights that regular voters tend to be senior adults and the working class, who often receive more attention from the government through policies that reflect their preferred interests. Low voter participation tends to favour incumbents, which, particularly in local government, can mean that councillors stay in office for extended periods. Over time, this may result in a failure to address demographic changes and neglect critical community needs, such as access to child health services or recreational facilities. There is a significant correlation between public policy and voter numbers, especially in key areas like education, community facilities, and health.
Voting ensures citizens' voices are heard, allowing them to shape a society that prioritises social justice, particularly when the majority participates. Compulsory voting would require candidates to engage with a broader section of the community, ensuring they adjust their priorities to reflect the needs of diverse members.
This promotes better interaction between candidates and the community, enhancing accountability in decision-making. Over time, compulsory voting could encourage more informed and engaged citizens, improving local governance. The Commonwealth Journal of Local Government (2017) emphasised the importance of participation for community development, offering members the opportunity to be involved in decision-making processes. New Vincent Mayor John supports compulsory voting, arguing that local government would improve with higher voter turnout, ensuring all community members have a say in matters affecting them.
Key Legal, Political and Other Considerations Need to Be Addressed
Lijpert highlights that declining voting turnout is a major concern for social democracy, particularly less privileged individuals often struggle to vote. This can be due to lack of information, time, or resources to engage in the electoral process, which ultimately weakens social democratic governance by making it harder for governments to enact policies that benefit all citizens. This issue can be resolved by changing the time of council elections to weekend and by shifting the responsibility of runs a campaign to local government to educate voters. This approach will not only increase voter turnout but also promotes broader community engagement, which leads to more representative decision-making and equitable distribution of resources.
Council members often stay in their roles for decades, sometimes 30 or 40 years. The majority elected candidates elected to local governments in recent years in Australia were over 55. One option proposed by Hon Geoff Brock is to place limits on election terms for council members to encourage new candidates who might otherwise be deterred by long-standing incumbents. This could make elections more competitive and this approach could increase voter turnout and diverse candidate can bring fresh ideas and perspectives, keeping councils more dynamic and innovative.
Road to Compulsory Voting Considerations
If South Australia (SA) were to adopt compulsory voting at the local government level, it would need to be implemented thoughtfully. Key considerations include:
Ensure that the public understands local government functions and the implications of compulsory voting. For example, an awareness campaign can be led by local communities, should be designed to inform those who are unaware of their rights.
The system should be inclusive and consider diverse backgrounds and levels of voting experience and using gradual approach to introducing compulsory voting. This could involve an initial focus on educating voters, followed by penalties for non-compliance.
Once the public is well informed, consideration can be given to what penalties should be applied for not voting. For instance, the approach used in federal elections could be adapted for local government elections.
At the federal level, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) handles voter turnout by issuing letters to explain reasons for non-voting or imposing a $20 fine. If valid reasons are provided, no further action is taken. For invalid reasons, the fine increases to $50. This system respects individual explanations and could be a model for local elections, balancing compulsory voting with consideration for personal circumstances.
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