Governments tended to adopt the laws as they were expanding laws around suffrage, and when it was politically expedient for the party in power. Not all mandatory voting is created equal. While some countries only require registered voters to participate, others have automatic registration and so require ballot-casting for all. Countries also vary in how much they enforce their laws.
While the fine applied to non-voters is easily waived in Australia, it can be pricey for folks in Peru; in Brazil, non-voters can be denied a passport.
Regardless of structure, though, scholars have found some commonalities in how compulsory voting changes a society. One clear impact: It increases voter turnout. Elections in which citizens are required to vote also have less money involved in the process. Compulsory elections can also lead to policies that are more inclusive of socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, at least in some countries.
After compulsory voting was introduced nationwide in Australia in , the country increased its spending on pensions , an issue of particular import for progressives at the time, one study found.
But in places where income inequality is already great, such as Latin America, the relationship between higher voter turnout and more progressive policies is harder to prove.
Instead, politicians may replace their plans for redistributive policies with individual favors to win votes, says Dosek. Disclaimer: Maps presented do not imply on the part of the Institute any judgement on the legal status of any territory or the endorsement of such boundaries, nor does the placement or size of any country or territory reflect the political view of International IDEA.
Maps are used in order to add visual clarity to data. Skip to main content. What is compulsory voting? Which countries practice compulsory voting? Belgium 1, 2, 4, 5 Yes men ; women Women in Bolivia 1, 2, 4 Yes Not enforced for those who are over 70 years old, who prove they have been absent from the national territory at the time of voting by a moment of voting, and those who could not vote by force majeure.
Brazil 1, 2, 4, 5 Yes Voluntary for the illiterate, those over 16 and under 18 years of age, and those over 70 years of age. Cyprus 1, 2 Yes Practiced from to Cyprus abandoned compulsory voting in Ecuador 1, 2 Yes for men, for both sexes Voluntary for those between 16 and 18years of age, those over 65 years of age, Ecuadorians who are members of the Armed Forces and National Police, those with disabilities and those who live abroad.
Egypt 1, 2 No This is the year from which we have found the earliest law. Fiji 1, 2, 3 Yes Practiced from to Fiji abandoned compulsory voting in Peru 1, 2, 4 Yes Voluntary for those over 75 years of age. Philippines None No Attempt to practice under martial law. Switzerland Schaffhausen 2 Yes Practised in only one canton. Abolished in other cantons in A some states See comments No Georgia and Virginia had legal provisions for imposing fines for not voting in the 18th century; North Dakota and Massachusetts amended their constitutions to allow for compulsory voting, but these states never enacted statutes to implement it Source: The Case for Compulsory Voting in the United States.
Harvard Law Review , no. Accessed April 21, It appears that the state of Massachusetts still has a provision in the Constitution allowing the general court the authority to provide for compulsory voting. Source: Constitution of Massachusetts Venezuela 4 No Practiced from to Venezuela abandoned compulsory voting in These are as follows: 1. Georgia and Virginia had legal provisions for imposing fines for not voting in the 18th century; North Dakota and Massachusetts amended their constitutions to allow for compulsory voting, but these states never enacted statutes to implement it Source: The Case for Compulsory Voting in the United States.
Why should voting be any different? There are better ways to fix low voter turnout in the U. One option is to make it easier for people to register to vote.
We could also lengthen the hours the polls are open or have Election Day on a weekend instead of a Tuesday. Such changes would be more effective—and more democratic—than forcing people to vote whether they want to or not. In , the U. Since then, have young voters cast their ballots for president in higher or lower percentages than voters overall? Grades You can change it later here.
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