[LINK] GetUP: Fwd: Where do the independents stand?

[Jan Whitaker]

I thought this outcome was interesting. Just goes to show that every 
vote does count. It may be less valid in the US where the actual 
number of votes cast is variable, but here, it does matter.
Jan

>As just one example, through the High Court challenge brought by 
>GetUp members, 98,138 Australians were able to vote yesterday who 
>wouldn't have otherwise had the chance. That's a wonderful thing for 
>democracy. And in the tightest electorates those extra votes are 
>determining who forms Government.
>
>In the marginal seat of Brisbane the difference between Labor and 
>Liberal is currently a few hundred votes, and GetUp's High Court 
>case added 1097 voters to the rolls. In Corangamite, where the 
>margin may be in the hundreds, there were over 724 extra voters 
>because of the success of GetUp members. And in McEwan, where the 
>last election came down to 27 votes, there were an additional 1191 
>voters on the rolls this election. In 12 marginal electorates, the 
>number of voters added to the rolls because of the High Court 
>challenge was greater than the difference between the two parties 
>last election.


Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or 
sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

_ __________________ _