THE increase in pre-polling is symptomatic of the average Australian voter's attitude, ("Pre-poll increasingly a matter of convenience", Opinion 30/5).
Many voters find compulsory voting a chore rather than a privilege and want to get it over with. Many wouldn't vote if voting was voluntary. These voters are uninterested in politics and political issues. Ironically, I imagine that if for some reason these people's right to vote were stripped away, then many of them would conduct street protests, complaining about the abrogation of their democratic rights.
The increase in pre-polling may also show that voters are creatures of habit, and have already made up their minds about how they will vote. They can't be bothered with political advertising and spin anymore.
