because of the implementation of compulsory voting. This system has proven to be not only effective in bring voters to the polls, but also effective in improving Australia’s democracy. By evaluating these two countries with similar political structure; one can see the difference in compulsory voting turnouts compared to voluntary voting turnout. Furthermore, if Britain were to follow Australia’s example, would the country see the same positive effects of compulsory voting in their democracy? Australia
participation in voting there is an important freedom that Australians are denied. This aligns with the view of countries like the United States, where citizens value their personal freedom above all else. However, this does not appear to be the popular view of the Australian citizens. Polls taken show that over the years there has been very steady support for compulsory voting, generally with between 60 and 70% of citizens in favour of it. It shows a belief among the citizens that having compulsory voting
Should America Consider Compulsory Voting? Have you ever wondered if america should have compulsory voting? Ever since World War II our presidential elections have not included 65% or higher in voter turnout. Voting is important because, voting lets the citizens express their feelings towards the subject, it also lets the government know if it has support from it's citizens.Our low voter turnout rates are causing people to question the legitimacy of our government. Places such as Australia and
There has been much debate about the legalisation of compulsory voting throughout political history and more importantly its place in a democratic society. Compulsory voting at a Commonwealth level was recognised in Australia in 1924 under section 245(1) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act as stated: “It shall be the duty of every elector to vote at each election” (Australian Electoral Commission, 2011). Since the introduction of compulsory voting there has been both strong advocacy and opposition in
beliefs. People have been debating whether the United States should have the compulsory voting system or not .There are variety of reasons on each side of the argument. However, I believe that compulsory voting should not be allowed because voters will not have freedom of choice, punishments can be very harsh for several people, and the irresponsible voters will make uneducated decisions while voting. Compulsory voting is when the government forces the citizens to vote, and if they still choose
A compulsory voting system similar to the one used in Australia is not a system Canada should implement. Compulsory voting in the context of a democratic society can be a misleading term (Lever, 2010). Canada practices the secret ballot process in voting, and so it is impossible to verify if someone has cast a legally valid ballot. If countries have a singular goal of simply increasing voter turnout, compulsory voting could remedy this problem and it should be more accurately defined as being compulsory
Compulsory Voting Should be Mandatory in Canada Compulsory voting is the legal requirement of electors to vote in elections. This is also sometimes referred to as mandatory voting. This can be required based on electoral law or national constitution, and it may or may not be enforced. This paper will argue that compulsory voting should be part of the Elections Act and enforced in order to prevent low voter turnout and maintain the robust principles of liberal democratic institutions founded on representing
enforced the idea of compulsory voting and it has worked out well for them. Although the United States in not like many of those other countries who are making it mandatory for everyone to vote, there are plenty of reasons why this would be beneficial for our country in particular. Compulsory voting would make the idea of voting an expected thing to do, level the playing field between social classes, and balance the relationship between candidates and citizens. Making voting mandatory for all eligible
Have you ever been persuaded into voting? Well, you should have your own say on where your opinion goes. Voting is a right that every citizen in America over the age of 18 can do. Many people have become aware of the fact that the number of voters had reached its all-time low. But as the newest voting season comes closer, we should still have a voice and the freedom to decide what we do. Which is to take a step against making America a compulsory voting country, because it proves unnecessary and
participating in midterm elections has been falling ever since 1964 (DelReal). With less than half of voting eligible Americans going to polling places, there are those who call for change in the current American political system. Twenty-two countries require citizens to vote and this has greatly increasing voter turnout in their elections. Some say compulsory voting is needed in America, but compulsory voting is not a good option because it would decrease the weight of the votes of those who care, give
reason for the country to embrace mandatory voting, and it may be the most compelling: democracy cannot be strong if citizenship is weak," _William A. Galtson_. Mandatory voting, or compulsory voting, is a law wherein citizens are required to vote, or suffer the consequence. Australia has had compulsory voting since putting it into effect in 1924. "The turnout of Australian elections has never fallen below 90 percent since the introduction of compulsory voting in 1924," _Australian Electoral Commission_
Though we live in a democratic society, there are a large number of people who remain politically disengaged. Should voting be made compulsory in order to encourage political participation? Compulsory voting has the potential to increase participation and also encourage political engagement. There are many positive things that are produced after enacting compulsory voting according to Eric Lund “in Western democracies demographically and culturally similar to the United States, this comment suggests
of these low turnouts, some people say that voting should be made compulsory. Compulsory, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is, “required by a law or rule”. Voting should not be made compulsory because voting is a right, not a duty; there are alternatives that tackle the real causes of voter disengagement; and persuasion is more effective than coercion. When looking at this debate it is good to first look at this question: is voting a right or a duty? A right is, “that which
Rebuttals: In my debate I argued that in a democracy voting should not be compulsory. I argued that a democracy gives you rights and freedoms which should not be violated by making voting mandatory. Also that not everyone can vote because they aren't educated which can either be because they don’t have the resources or don’t want to. In either of those cases they can’t make the best decision for the people. Would you say that it is important in a democracy to have freedom of expression? My first
public. Firstly, the idea of compulsory voting that involves every citizen having a civic duty, rather then a right to vote, which has been introduced in over 20 countries worldwide, a good example being Australia. In Australia, the system has been a success, producing an impressive turnout of 94% in the 2013 election, which therefore means that the Australian government will have a much higher level of legitimacy compared to the UK. However, critics of compulsory voting argue that such a system is
Should America have compulsory voting? In my opinion, compulsory voting is a good way to increase the voting turnout. People currently don't like to vote because they don't have the time, or are just too lazy. If the government gives them an incentive then they will be happy to take time off to vote. Also, a reason to fear not to vote should be installed, like an annoying fine. When only a few people vote, the voter satisfaction is low. But when everyone puts their idea in, the satisfaction rises
First of all, let’s explore what compulsory voting actually is. “Compulsory voting can be defined very simply as the legal obligation to attend the polls at election time and perform whatever duties are required there of electors” (Birch 2). Numerous countries impose sanctions on those who do not vote- these
Should Americans Be Required to Vote? Did you know that only approximately 40 countries out of 160 countries do compulsory voting? Compulsory voting is a system where voters are obliged to vote in elections or at polling places on voting day. If only 40 countries did it, we can assume that it didn’t work out for the other countries. Should the citizens of the United States not have the freedom to vote? The three reasons why Americans should not be required to vote is because it is not fair to have
The most critiqued argument is that mandating voting is just un-American. The con side argues that forcing people to vote violates our freedom of speech. But they don’t feel that the requirement to pay taxes and serve as a jure are unjust. This seems contradictory. The second argument is that requiring
freedom of expression, including the right to vote (Thevenard & Orend, 2015). In democratic Canada, “all eligible citizens have the right to participate, either directly or indirectly, in making the decisions that affect them” ("Democracy Defined"). Voting, in essence, ensures all citizens receive an equal opportunity to express their views by selecting and supporting a political party of their choice. Such an approach provides freedom of expression for all eligible citizens, allowing for the political