Should Voting Be Mandatory?
Posted on March 3, 2008
Filed Under Politics |
I asked this question on Twitter earlier today, and got a few interested responses, but I thought I’d ask it here, as well.
Basically, I want to know if you think citizens should be required to vote in a democracy. Even if you don’t support any of the candidates, you could just spoil your ballot (or refuse it, there is an official way of doing so in Canada, but I don’t recall the details), as long as you actually went down to a polling station and took an active role.
In Australia, voting is mandatory, and you have to pay a fine if you don’t vote. Do you think something like this would work in other democratic nations?
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10 Responses to “Should Voting Be Mandatory?”
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I don’t think voting should be mandatory simply because I think not-voting is a basic right. People should have the right to play no part in the political system of the country if they so choose.
An interesting idea would be to set hard limits on voter turn out, such that if fewer than a certain number of voters bother to vote the election is tossed as being unrepresentative of the population.
I tend to agree with you, Allan. Though, on the other hand, I think that voting is a responsibility as much as it’s a right. Basically, if you have the right to vote, you have a responsibility to protect that right be exercising it. But, I suppose that no one should be able to force you to do so.
Imposing a minimum required turnout for election results to be considered “valid” is an interesting idea. I think all it would take would be one tossed election to get people involved. After all, if the 1st election was tossed, and people had to sit through ANOTHER campaign immediately afterward, I think they’d go and vote just to avoid suffering that fate ever again.
A resounding YES!
As you mentioned, voting is a responsibility, more than it is a right. Imagine the many people who desperately WANT change, who NEED change, and - above all - have a right to change, but can never achieve that possibility due to the apathy of so many?
In Oz I can honestly say I never hear of anyone complain of mandatory voting. It also helps that voting is always held on a Saturday, making it much easier for people to make the effort to vote (and they’re often lured by free BBQ sausages).
If someone wishes to exercise their democratic right to NOT vote and to NOT make a choice, then simply cast a dummy ballot and stop ruining it for so many other people who take an interest.
I am SO frustrated by the election!
Free BBQ, eh? Perhaps we can have: “Canadian Elections, sponsored by Tim Horton’s.” It would be the worst sort of corporate-government intermingling imaginable, but handing out free Timmy’s might inspire people to head down to the polling station.
I also agree about casting a dummy ballot. I think everyone should have the right to not vote (whether by casting a spoiled ballot, or by doing the “refusal” thing I mentioned in the post), but to exercise that right by staying at home on your couch…that’s not a conscious decision not to vote, that’s apathy.
I agree voting is a responsibility, and a right. I don’t think one is more important than the other.
I also don’t believe forcing people to be responsible is the answer. This kind of negates the “responsibility” part of it. When you force me to do something, I’m fulfilling a duty or a law, not choosing to be responsible. Responsibility should be a choice in my opinion.
On the “throwing votes out” thing…I really don’t see how this would be a successful tactic. If I vote and my vote gets thrown out because not enough people voted, then I am more likely not to bother voting again…why should I when my vote doesn’t matter? The people who chose not to vote in the first place aren’t going to be bothered by the decision to throw the existing votes out but I will. If they didn’t vote the first time, why would they take the time to vote in a second election? Don’t punish me or tell me I don’t matter because someone else refuses to be irresponsible. It is my right to vote, please don’t deny me that right and don’t punish me for exercising that right.
I just don’t believe in attempting to “make” people responsible.
Dunno if I’m making any sense, I’m having a hard time finding the words to express my opinion here.
Good post though. I’m enjoying the discussion.
Oops…
Don’t punish me or tell me I don’t matter because someone else refuses to be irresponsible.
That should read:
Don’t punish me……refuses to be RESPONSIBLE.
I see your point, but I’m not sure if I agree or not. I mean, yeah, people are apathetic, but if the election keeps getting thrown out because these people aren’t voting, they’ll probably wake up and vote EVENTUALLY, right?
Then again, maybe not…
I don’t know about that. I mean, you could say that if the same party remains in power for 4 decades virtually unchallenged and problems continue to be identified, then people would wake up and vote. Clearly that hasn’t happened.
Forgive my pessimism, but I don’t believe that people will wake up until they are legally forced to.
Well, if we went for months and months with literally no government because elections kept getting tossed out, I’d like to think that people would take notice. But, you’re probably right, no one would care other than those who already voted. Everyone else would just watch the news and say, “What’s taking them so long? I don’t get it! Why don’t people vote? Oh well, Oprah’s on…”
Precisely. Much like what has just happened - people make an effort to vote, hoping that it counts, while the majority are too uncaring to make any of it worthwhile for anyone.
It really does sadden me. The knowledge that Alberta is so easy to control, as Albertans seem unwilling to put up a fight, is truly saddening.