Australia, home to more than 100,000 Jews, has compulsory voting, meaning all citizens must cast their vote in national elections or face a penalty, usually a fine or community service. Since elections are always held on Saturdays, Orthodox Jews are already used to casting their votes via the mail, but there was concern that [if elections were scheduled for Yom Kippur] less observant members of the community may fail to follow suit and miss voting by going to synagogue.
Monday, August 05, 2013
Australian Election Date Moved, Avoiding Conflict With Yom Kippur
Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday called elections for Sept. 7, instead of the Sept. 14 date that had been set by former Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The Sept. 14 date conflicted with the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. As reported by the Times of Israel:
