Mandatory Voting Advantages

Although compulsory voting has not been implemented in many democratic governments, those that have adopted its method show very high voter turn out. Since 1924, Australia has been a leading example of how efficient mandatory voting can be when implemented properly. Mandatory voting has many benefits that would not only aid the political system of ones country, but also countless other factors such as economics, foreign policy, and the general will of the people. Obama has even considered instituting this type of policy in the very free and democratic United States of America stating, “…mandatory voting would empower these groups and counteract the influence of big money in elections…”[Josephine Tovey]. With a compulsory voting law in place …show more content…
“…forcing people to the ballot box could affect the "strategic calculations" of 21st century political parties, which often focus on dividing the electorate by playing up certain issues and mining support from the resulting passion.” [Alex Ballingall] When fewer people turn out for voting it makes it easier for political party’s to vote themselves into power. This outcome goes against the will of the people, which is more undemocratic than forcing a citizen to participate in their political system. An extreme example of a political party taking advantage like this is setting up fake election polls to destroy unfavorable votes. “…people were fraudulently tricked into travelling to nonexistent ballot sites during the 2011 federal election.” [Alex …show more content…
The fine those who do not vote pay would not compensate for the price of amenities needed to track down said people and address the situation. Certain people may have legitimate excuses for not being able to vote and thus need to be addressed by court officials, costing the government even more money. However, the government could use these non-voters to uncover specific reasons why a few people choose to just pay a fine instead of simply involving themselves in the political system. “Maybe a person who doesn’t vote should receive a letter asking why and then use that data to remove as many barriers as possible.” [Guelph Mercury] Preferentially those who do not vote could be asked to take a voter education course as a substitute for paying a fine. This may cost taxpayers a small amount more, but the price is worth it to strengthen the general populations understanding of the importance of voting as well as the impact one person’s vote can