Imagine a federal election where you could swap the school hall for a ballot booth at your local pub or snag a free burger just for showing up to vote.
So begins an online article on ABC - the Australian Broadcasting Commission.
It seems that in Australia, as here in the U.S., there is a problem with large chunks of the population simply not coming out to vote. A study of the problem came up with a number of ideas have been presented to the Australian Electoral Commission, including placing polling stations in local pubs (my favorite idea), and giving out free rewards for voting - such as a hamburger. The latter idea would be sponsored by venders in exchange for advertising rights.
For many folks voting is seen as a civic responsibility, however the disconnect between the voter and the whole election process is certainly understandable. Perhaps an idea like this would get a few more people involved in this process. Personally, I tend to vote all the time, but coming out of a voting booth to a cool pint of ale would be nice.
Read the full story here. Cheers!