This may seem obvious, but compulsory voting leads to drastically higher voter turnout rates. In Australia, where mandatory voting was first introduced in 1925, turnout for elections hovers at around 90% of all registered voters, way more than the UK's 2024 general-election turnout of 59.7%.
lowk how is that good
Compulsory voting forces people to vote for someone even if they do not like any of the candidates on offer.
again, not democratic
Compulsory voting increases the political education of the people.
unsubstantiated
Compulsory registration and voting reduce the legitimacy of elected representatives.
when people vote for someone, there is a reason they have to vote for that person. if you want an uninformed/unwilling voter to vote for that person like was that person actually voted in with the interests of the electorates?
Voting is a necessary part of the duties of citizenship, just like jury duty or paying taxes.
really tbf what use would forced voting really have? jury duty has a use, where they will be judged by a jury of their peers, while paying taxes go directly into the social services of the country, but really what use is compulsory voting?
Compulsion is part of a slippery slope to totalitarianism.
compulsion if any way, even if it is good minded, is not per se democratic
it has become more likely that nonvoting Americans lean to the right.
so before people who didnt vote voted left, but because democrats now are pushing for people who are already going to vote for them, it is more likely that the people who don't vote are gonna be right
Similarly, what type of person is most likely to sit out elections where voting is voluntary?
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Uninformed or disinclined people who are obliged to vote may select fringe or protest parties out of apathy or to signal dissent.
people who are forced to vote may fuck up their votes, voting random ass parties or casting invalid ballots. this can be dangerous, because if they do in fact get enough of those votes, they will have more of a voice in democratic representation and will, in turn up their efforts to increase voters. positive feedback loop
Relatedly, parties may temper their stances. Here, the logic is that politically moderate citizens are induced to vote where doing so is required, meaning centrist platforms are more likely to pay off.
if you have to cater to a larger electorate - meaning everyone, the middle ground will always be the way to go.
given that mandatory voting incentivizes them to consider the preferences of the whole electorate.
parties in the us will focus more on a certain demographic, republicans would focus more on the hillbilly white demos, while the democrats would focus more on the educated/genz to appeal.
if mandatory voting incentivizes them to consider the preferences, i need to refute that.
“Compulsory voting should help equalize voting rates by bringing less participatory groups—typically the socioeconomically disadvantaged—to the polls.”
socioeconomically disadvantaged people do not vote - why do they not vote? connect to barrier in voting
What effects does compulsory voting have on political representation and party polarization?
could this relate to democracy?
the zombies
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