POLITICAL FACT OF THE DAY: Belgium and Australia both enforce compulsory voting, meaning citizens face fines or penalties if they fail to show up at the polls. ― Albert EinsteinPOLITICAL HAIKU OF THE DAY:Knives beneath blue tiesLuxon counts the shadows twiceCaucus doors whisper– Advertisement –TDB Open Mic is The Daily Blog’s community noticeboard. Each day, the Editor posts a new Open Mic message at the top of the comments. Readers should reply directly to that daily Open Mic comment with links, political chatter, breaking observations, media tips, and what they’re seeing on the ground. Open Mic is moderated.