In 2010, nearly 16 million registered electors did not turn out to vote. Is compulsory voting the answer?
In 2010, nearly 16 million registered electors did not turn out to vote. Next month a similar figure probably won’t make it to the polls.
Against this backdrop, some have called for voting to be made compulsory. One of those is Labour MP David Winnick, who has suggested that voting be made a ‘civic duty’. Similarly, the IPPR think tank has recommended compulsory first time voting, which it says could ’empower’ young people.
On the other hand, isn’t compelling people to vote a sign of democratic failure? Don’t politicians simply need to offer people an inspiring message which they actually want to vote for?
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29 Responses to “VOTE: Should voting (or actively abstaining) be compulsory?”
Chris Phillips
My answer is not in the list 🙁
I would say YES to compulsory voting ONLY, ONLY, IF two options are included and it is PR
1) None of the above
2) Reopen the election
IF more than 50% choose 2) then there has to be a re-election
Rachel
Yes, I would make voting compulsory, but not for the reason you might suppose.
Voting is a secret ballot, politicians don’t know if you vote or spoil your paper. They do know however those who are and aren’t registered, and those who do and don’t cast their vote. From this, they can profile the groups who don’t vote based on age, gender, income, employment, home ownership. They can then decide which people they can screw with their policies and not lose votes. Look at the last five years of Tory policies if you don’t believe this to be true.
Currently, your best defence against being targeted for tax increases or spending cuts would appear to be belonging to the groups that mostly vote. I would therefore have compulsory voting so non-voters (now paper spoilers) are hidden within the voting population. I think that would mean party policies might become fairer as everyones vote can be lost. And I think it is why it will never be implemented.
Quite obviously I would also want PR rather than FPTP.
Robert
I live off them being severely disabled , would you not then be the same. But I’m more interest in truth labour Tories both the same when it comes to welfare
Robert
well I was in labour for a while 40 years , sadly labour died some time ago, would I vote UKIP a right wing party of hate, nope Tory well since they are so close to labour these days.