The Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, has called the 2007 General Election for 24 November.

The six weeks of campaigning will be a trying time for everyone, not least the voters.

Australian Electoral System

Australian voters are obliged to cast a ballot. They are fined if they do not have a good excuse for not voting. There is a system of pre-poll absentee voting which many use, such as folk who are in nursing homes, those who will be absent from their electorate on holidays, getting married on the day, etc. There is also a separate system of voting in another area if the voter is absent from their electorate. So, there is no excuse, except if you are in gaol.

There will be two people in my household voting for the first time. They have turned 18 years old since the election in 2004.

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Peter