Don't throw away your chance to vote, independent Wannon candidate says

Independent candidate Alex Dyson urged people using their one vote to make a big impact on May 21.

He said he didn't want people to get too apathetic because the election was "our best chance" to get politicians to listen.

"They often don't listen to or respond to the letters and the protests but they sure as hell listen to us when we vote differently," he said.

"Becoming apathetic suits them, not us."

To offset the impact of the donkey vote - people who just vote in numerical order from top to bottom - Mr Dyson said the idea of having different voting papers listing the candidates in different order on election day, and then randomly handed out, had merit.

It was an idea raised by a voter, but he said he found it intriguing.

"Particularly as we move towards digital voting, as some jurisdictions seem to be moving towards, it would very easy to evenly distribute the names at the top of the ballot," he said.

"It needs a lot more research, but looking into ways our voting system could be as representative as possible, I'm all ears."

Mr Dyson said a lot of 16 and 17 years olds were telling him that they too would like to be able to vote.

"They go to work and pay tax and they say to me 'why can't we vote'. I don't have a good answer for them," he said.

"The government's dishing their tax dollars out, but they don't have a say in where it goes."

He said lowering the voting age wasn't part of the policy platform yet, but it was something to keep in mind.

Mr Dyson said one Wannon voter confessed to him that he only voted formally for the first time at the last election because he was on the ballot.

"That was different than the previous 40 years of a few expletives and choice words for the politicians who he found to be left wanting," he said.

Mr Dyson said he was humbled by that.

He said voters have been getting more and more disillusioned for years, particularly with the changing of Prime Ministers.

"We've really seen the impact over the last couple of years that politics has on our lives," he said.

"Taking that vote seriously is the smallest thing you can do to have a massive impact."

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