General Article Should we make voting compulsory?

Topic Selected: Government Book Volume: 360
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By Lizzie Lawless

Elections with low turnout are not uncommon in the UK, so it’s only natural that questions are often raised on how we can see more voters heading to the ballot box.

Some argue that the key to higher turnout is to simply introduce compulsory voting. Since compulsory voting was introduced to Australia in 1924, turnout has never dropped below 91 percent. While compulsory voting may mask the symptoms, it isn’t a cure for the disease.

The real problem is members of the public not wanting to vote. Many people who choose not to, do so because they feel their vote is powerless. And under the current Westminster voting system, they would be right.

With each constituency having just one MP to represent it, all votes cast for losing candidates are discarded. Additionally, all votes for an MP above what they need to win are wasted too – they do not count towards the final result. Whether an MP wins by one vote or 30,000 it makes no difference under Westminster’s voting system....

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