In Australia, after a very low turnout; it became compulsory to vote. This is supported by 70% of the population. People who don’t have a good excuse not to vote like being disabled or being abroad will receive a small fine. Despite it being unconstitutional not to vote, the ballot is still completely secret so this means people can still leave the ballot blank and write nonsense on it. Luckily though this does not hurt voter turnout so that it is as bad as when not voting is legal.
Some people would say not voting is disrespectful. So many people in the world cant vote because they are living by the rules of a corrupt government. They would kill to vote and the right would be massive to them. Here in Britain the right to vote is just taken for granted and many people are very wasteful with it. Though them not voting may have something to do with them thinking their vote won’t count.
Though there are also reasons that voting should be compulsory. In many people’s opinion forcing somebody to vote is forcing them to give their opinion. Many people like the fact that they have the choice and making people vote may be a deter people from voting even more, even if they have to pay a fine.
Also, many people live in areas where none of the parties appeal to their political views. One of the arguments to make voting compulsory is that it doesn’t display what the general public wants well enough; but forcing people to vote for people they don’t want in power also does that. So that is not a valid argument to make voting compulsory.
So all in all, I would say voting should not be compulsory, because it removes the “freedom” to vote. In my opinion that right works both ways, you have the freedom not to vote, and the freedom to vote. Forcing somebody’s opinion out of them is not good, and it may mean that it is not always valid too.
