Too lazy to go to the polling station

“Voter apathy – is making it compulsory the answer? Well, 31 countries around the world seem to think so.”

ANYONE STILL spluttering at the results of the European elections? That’s absolutely fine – as long as you bothered to vote. However, according to the turnout figures, that’s probably only onethird of everyone reading.

Hands up, I’m one of you. There was the will, but the day was filled with things that HAD to be done. There was a voting window planned between 5 and 6pm, but it was filled as events ran behind. It’s no excuse, but that’s life.

If it had been compulsory, then maybe the timetable would have been adhered to more carefully. Is that the answer? Around the world 31 countries seem to think so, with a dozen enforcing it to different levels of severity.

While Australia has made it compulsory to register and show up at the polls, voters can spoil the paper before placing it in the ballot box. Argentina has legislated that everyone between 18 and 70 needs to vote.

Both will listen to reasons before taking action on no-shows – in Australia a fine can follow (followed by the threat of imprisonment for refusal to pay the fine) while in Brazil an individual who hasn’t voted cannot have a passport until they vote in the two most recent elections.

So, is that the answer or would we be letting ourselves in for massive set-up costs and civil rights court costs? A century following the campaign for women to have the right to vote, would there be campaigns for the right NOT to vote?

As much as Russell Brand’s florid Newsnight tirade last year was entertaining, disengaging with the process isn’t the answer.

Even in the last General Election only 63% of Scots decided to exercise their right to a say. Apathy must contribute to that gaping hole but there will be people who are ill that day, out of the country without registering for a postal vote, or just don’t get round to it.

The terrible irony is that large swathes of the population are happy to vote for Simon Cowell’s next cash cow on a range of talent shows, paying handsomely for the privilege, but they won’t walk to the local primary school to make a mark against those who come closest to our beliefs on how we should be governed.

Apart from the fact that many people are more engaged by members of boy bands than members of the Cabinet – are we simply too lazy to get to the polling station, or even the nearest post box?

How could an online or text system be proved to be bulletproof?

When it was revealed that even the result of a viewers’ phone vote to name the Blue Peter cat was ignored, this kind of secret ballot lost credibility that it hasn’t yet regained.

In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a wee vote coming up on September 18.

If Scots can’t shake off the torpor for THAT day, then our system of suffrage needs serious re-examination.