Only 28 per cent of enrolled voters cast a ballot in Western Australia's local government elections at the weekend, the lowest turnout since postal ballots were introduced in 1995. The poor participation rate has reignited debate about making voting compulsory in local council polls.
Newly-elected mayors, including Marina Vergone, are calling for change. "Out of 76,000 people we only had around 16,000 vote. And I do believe it should be made compulsory," she said. John Carey, the new mayor of Vincent, agreed, noting that residents frequently raise local issues with state and federal politicians.
However, the WA Local Government Association opposes compulsory voting. President Troy Pickard described the turnout as "disappointing" but said the sector supports voluntary voting to keep party politics at arm's length. "We enjoy in Western Australia a significant level of independence to the party process," he said.
Political analyst David Black from Curtin University suggested voters struggle to differentiate between candidates at the local level. "The only things that demarcate one from the other are their personal experiences and personal comments," he said. Professor Clive Bean from Queensland University of Technology predicted that compulsory voting will eventually be introduced for uniformity.
Pickard said the association may instead pursue a statewide advertising campaign to boost awareness and participation.
