Wendy Hebbard, New Gisborne
I feel grateful that we have our present electoral system of compulsory voting. Hopefully, we all think carefully before using this privilege.
I read recently that in America, many ‘would-be’ voters are disenfranchised. The arrangements make it difficult, if not impossible, in some areas polling-stations are situated inconveniently, sometimes out of town. There are too few polling booths, resulting in long queues to cast your vote. Polling Day, in the middle of the week (Tuesday), causes people to lose pay by missing work. These disincentives, in certain areas, apparently work in favour of Trump’s Republicans.
In the Macedon Ranges we have an MP of high calibre. I recommend Mary-Anne Thomas, as she has worked so hard for us and achieved so much – the gains include more money for schools, sports facilities, parks and so on. Her party is not riven by recent leadership changes and inconsistent policies.
Please don’t regard voting as a chore; or say “I can’t be bothered”.
