WHAT'S WRONG WITH COMPULSORY VOTING?

Many political commentators worry about the introduction of compulsory voting because it infringes individual political freedoms and, potentially, debases political institutions.

There is a risk associated with forcing a person who is ignorant of politics to vote. If a voter has not read the literature that is available at election time, or does not understand the context in which that information exists, then forcing him or her to' vote may be counter-productive. It means that people will participate without conviction and, rather than improving the level of political literacy (which would lead to greater legitimacy for the system), it could mean that parties would pitch their policies to the lowest common denominator. The impact of this course of action is that CV could lead to a situation whereby the 'tyranny of the majority' is established.

Another factor associated with forcing people to vote is that the political system can be discredited in the process. If individuals who do not want to contribute to democratic society are forced to participate, they might choose to support parties that do not normally receive many votes. This could lead to extremist groups, such as the British National Party, increasing their vote, which would only discredit the political system further.

In the UK, every citizen has the right not to vote, whether out of apathy or as a protest against the system. By removing this right, it can be argued that the government would be infringing individuals' rights. It is perhaps better to introduce other measures to counteract voter apathy, such as improving political education, introducing new, more proportional electoral systems or holding more regualr referendums.