10 Facts About Compulsory voting

Compulsory voting, called mandatory voting, is the requirement in some countries that eligible citizens register and vote in elections.

Technically, compulsory voting is a practice that only requires citizens to attend a polling place to get their name crossed off the electoral roll.

In practice, Compulsory voting was conducted only in Rome, either in the Campus Martius or in the Forum, and not many citizens would have been able to afford the journey or take time off to vote.

From 1862 to 1998, compulsory voting was enacted in 20 democracies, most of which were in Western Europe or Latin America.

Compulsory voting was introduced in 1893 for men and in 1948 for women, following universal female suffrage.

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Supporters of compulsory voting argue that voting addresses the paradox of voting, which is that for a rational, self-interested voter, the costs of voting will normally exceed the expected benefits.

Supporters of compulsory voting argue that just as the secret ballot is designed to prevent interference with the votes actually cast, compelling voters to the polls for an election removes interference with accessing a polling place, reducing the impact that external factors such as the weather, transport, or restrictive employers might have.

Compulsory voting stated the government should not force citizens to vote or threaten them with a fine.

Study of a Swiss canton where compulsory voting was enforced found that compulsory voting significantly increased electoral support for leftist policy positions in referendums by up to 20 percentage points.

Pre-poll Compulsory voting at nominated polling stations in Australia has been increasing in recent years.