The Voter ID Virus Is Spreading To Australia

 

Bells and Whistles

AUSTRALIA

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is coming under fire for proposing a contentious voter identification law, a move many critics said could threaten Australia’s election process, the Washington Post reported.

The new bill would require voters to provide identification before voting in the federal elections, which the government explained would help reduce voter fraud. Morrison said that the bill resembles legislation in other countries, including Canada and the United States.

But opposition politicians and election analysts raised concerns about the draft law, saying that the prime minister and his supporters are fueling panic and misinformation about the integrity of Australia’s electoral system.

Australia’s system is considered one of the best in the world: Eligible citizens are required by law to vote and scofflaws are subjected to a small fine. More than 90 percent of Australians vote in the federal polls, compared with around 60 percent in the US. The Australian Electoral Commission has also said that the evidence of voter fraud is “vanishingly small,” despite the high turnout.

Although the debate about voter ID has been going on for years, analysts noted that the controversial bill was proposed only months before the federal elections next year. Morrison’s conservative Liberal Party has slipped in polls and critics said that the proposed law – as well as a bill on religious discrimination – are aimed at courting far-right voters, who could give him a boost in the upcoming elections.

Even so, a number of senators in Morrison’s conservative coalition said they would block the two bills over their demands for a law against coronavirus vaccine mandates.

But even if the voter ID bill passes, the opposition Labor Party said it would repeal it if it wins the elections.