Sunrise host Nat Barr has shocked an American woman by pointing out one key difference between the voting rules in Australia and the United States. Barr is currently on assignment in Washington DC as she covers this week’s presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, which polls say sits on a razor’s edge. On Monday, Nat joined co-host Matt Shirvington and Monique Wright, who quizzed her from the Australian studio about the rush on early voting, which has seen millions of Americans cast their vote before the day of the election itself.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today “They’re saying about 74 million people have already voted, which is nearly half of the total who voted last time,” Barr said from the American capital. “It sounds impressive, but considering that 160 million people voted in the last election and there are about 245 million eligible voters, we’re still about 80 million short. “It shows how crucial it is to get people out to vote.
Voting in the US isn’t compulsory like it is in Australia. “I mentioned this to one woman, saying, ‘Oh, we have to vote’ and she asked, ‘What do you mean?’ I explained that voting is compulsory. “She then asked, ‘What happens if you don’t vote?’ and I told her there’s a fine.
“She couldn’t believe it. That’s why you’ll see celebrities like Beyoncé, LeBron James, and Taylor Swift probably performing tomorrow night in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the swing sta.