Compulsory voting in Australian national elections

Compulsory voting has been part of Australia's national elections since 1924. Renewed Liberal Party interest and a parliamentary committee recommendation that voluntary voting be the subject of future investigation suggest that this may well be an important issue at the next election. Scott Bennett describes the origins of compulsory voting in Australia and its use in Commonwealth elections, outlines the arguments for and against compulsion, discusses the political impact of compulsory voting and refers to suggested reforms.