The Electoral Reform Society of the United Kingdom has published this chart, by Dylan Difford. It shows turnout in advanced democracies for the last election for the national legislative body. It clearly shows that countries that use proportional representation have higher voter turnout than countries that don’t. The United States is listed, as the country with the third-weakest turnout. Countries with proportional representation are in purple.
Australia is an exception in the chart. It has the highest turnout and it does not use proportional representation. But Australia has compulsory voting. Thanks to Fairvote for the link.
How many voters in Australia cast blank ballots?
@WZ,
In the 2019 HOR elections, 5.05% of ballots were informal.
“In the 2019 HOR elections, 5.05% of ballots were informal”
“Informal?” What exactly does that mean? A ballot in which votes were not cast for the listed candidates?
Australia does not use PR but it also does not use simple majority voting. In the Australian Senate elections are by PR.
@WZ,
Not formal. Discard a connotation of “formal” meaning overly ceremonious. Instead, “done in due or lawful form”.
Australia requires full preferences.
https://www.aec.gov.au/elections/candidates/files/scrutineers-handbook.pdf
See page 25 or so.
https://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/research/files/res_rep_01.pdf
This has some statistics broken down by type.
@WZ,
This report has statistics from the 2001 election for various types of informal ballot paper.
https://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/research/files/res_rep_01.pdf
@WZ,
Page 25 or so gives examples of formal and informal preferences. Australia requires full preferences.
https://www.aec.gov.au/elections/candidates/files/candidates-handbook.pdf