Why Waste Your Vote? Informal Voting in Compulsory Elections in Australia

Author(s):

Eamon McGinn,  Shiko Maruyama

Date of publication: May 2021

Working paper number: 02

Abstract:

In Australia, where voting is compulsory, around 5% of votes are informal, not counting toward the outcome. Between 2004–2016, 32% of electorates reported  more informal votes than votes in the margin between the winner and runner-up. Using exogenous changes in electorate boundaries, we test two hypotheses from the literature. We find the pivotal voter theory unsupported, except that better-educated voters respond to the margin more strategically. However, we do find that more candidates cause more informal votes. This choice-overload effect is observed regardless of voters’ education, indicating the role of time and effort cost rather than just cognitive ability.

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.