An Analysis of Compulsory Voting in Australia Essay Example

‘We have to make voting compulsory because Australian’s are too lazy to vote if they didn’t have to’. Compulsory voting is a legal requirement in Australia mandating that eligible citizens register and vote in elections. Australia is a democracy being a form of government where the public is able to make or decide legislations. Compulsory voting allows each person to have their say about as to what they value and change what they believe must be made notice in society. These candidates on the ballot papers are people who are going to represent your country and make critical decisions. Australians are very proud of their country and would appreciate to be presented in a good light. 

Compulsory voting has increased voter turnout and participating in elections. In 1924 to improve the low rates of participation in votes compulsory voting was introduced which resulted in a dramatic increase of voter turnout. Australia has one of the highest voter turnouts in the world. According to the (AEC 2011), the 16.4 million Australians were enrolled to vote in the 2019 federal election and 92% of the 16 million voted. Compare Australia statistics to America, roughly 66.1% out of approximately 240 million people submitted a ballot in the 2020 presidential election. This set of information justifies the effectiveness of compulsory voting in comparison to other countries who are under a voluntary voting policy. With this said all voters must be 18 years and older to be eligible to take part in the federal election. All federal elections are held every three years and voters must be a citizen of Australia to enrol. If people are not able to comply with the following request, they will face the consequence of being subject to a fine. If the person doesn’t supply a reasonable explanation as to why they didn’t vote they can potiently be sent to court and even face jail time. 

Voting is a necessary part of the duties of citizenship like going to school or paying taxes (Macquarie Street S. 2016). Voting can be viewed in the same light as taxation. Taxes help countries fund health, construction of roads, support other social and public services. In the same way, voting ensures that the right people are placed in leadership positions where they could make decisions that would ultimately direct the use of resources taken from taxes and services for the benefits of the whole country. As such, just as evading taxes is punishable so too should voting be. Voting is as simple as numbering a few pieces of paper and putting it in a ballot box. Yes, people may not care about elections but how could one not care about an event so critical to the running of their own country. Not many would want their country run by a lunatic who doesn’t know what they’re doing that’s why it’s so important to vote. In order for Australians to live a civil life under good authorities compulsory voting must continue. Australians are constantly reminded of the candidates and upcoming elections through political advertisements that precede every election. The public is always informed on what is going on in the government as most of the information is displayed on the news. Especially when the election draws near there are many advertisements and posters put up all around towns and neighbourhoods. The news is full of stories about political groups that are born out of political dissent from groups of people that feel cheated in an election. Where there is proven legitimacy, there is often stability in the government. Compulsory voting is not made to force people to make a choice, it is to have their opinion heard. 

Having compulsory voting helps increase the political education of Australians because people will have to pay attention to politics, so they know who to vote for. Surveys have consistently found that most citizens are anything but knowledgeable about politics (Ian McAllister, 2011). There are some downsides to Compulsory voting being it multiplies the possibility of donkey votes and other incorrect ways of submitting a vote. When ballot papers are not filled out correctly, they are set aside as ‘informal’. While Compulsory voting makes it possible for the electorate to choose their representatives, it somehow takes away their individual right to skip voting if they so wished. One would rather have it made voluntary but educate people on their civic obligations Australia might end up with a parliament or a senate that only represents a minority. This is against the background that democracy is about numbers. The bigger the number of people that vote, the more likely the government would be made up of people that truly mirror the various opinions present in the nation. This makes the government legitimate as no one would claim they did not have the ability to vote.

Overall, Compulsory voting is a highly effective requirement put in place for Australians. It has increased the number of participates in elections over the years. It has even furthered people’s knowledge about politics and different parties in the government. It allows the public issues to be heard and what changes they would like to see in society. Compulsory voting encourages the public to get involved in a very important event as that.