good idea/bad idea, necessary democratic reform or authoritarian imposition? are there better or worse ways to do it?
Australia has compulsory voting with penalties for not voting. It ensures that people who don’t think they have a voice or that their vote doesn’t change anything actually are required to make their voice heard, even if they think that it doesn’t matter.
We also have first past the post voting, so using said voice is never a waste.
FPTP is the shitty undemocratic system America and the UK use.
We use Instant Runoff Voting, which is a type of preferential (also called “ranked choice”) system. Which, as you say, means you aren’t wasting your vote by voting third party.
Australia has a lot of really borderline fascist ideas. Not a great argument.
Some people in Australia absolutely have ideas like you describe, fortuitously the rest of us don’t have to vote for them.
