Should voting in elections be mandatory?

Countries like Australia have mandatory voting to increase political participation. In the face of growing public disillusionment with politics and a substantial amount of the adult populace who refuse to vote in elections, should voting be mandatory?

Voting should be mandatory

As citizens, people have a responsibility to the state to participate politically.

Mandatory voting would raise participation

Mandatory voting will, fundamentally, increase political engagement.

Mandatory voting would increase democratic legitimacy

The government is often not overseen by someone with a majority of votes, making it democratically illegitimate.

Voting is a public good

Political participation is a public service that should be compulsory.

Voting should not be mandatory

The state should not be able to force people to participate politically if they do not want to.

People should have a right to opt out of voting

The government has no right to force people to participate if they do not want to.

People should actively want to vote

People should want to vote, rather than being forced to do so.

Many people will pay a fine over having to vote

Introducing a fine for not voting does not actually increase voting rates.
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This page was last edited on Thursday, 12 Mar 2020 at 08:30 UTC