Should voting in general elections in the UK be compulsory?

Question

Several countries, including Australia have compulsory voting in elections whereby non-voters are fined. Should this be introduced in the UK in conjunction with a "none of the above" option on the ballot that is counted and officially recorded as abstentions?

Answer 1

No because you are infringing on the rights of those who wish to stay of politics

Answer 2

Only if they can put a box on the ballot paper which says "none of the above". The tragedy is not how few people vote in the UK, it's how many people feel their vote is completely meaningless in determining the political future of the country.
Most people, if forced to vote, would vote'none of the above'.

Answer 3

I don't think anyone should be allowed to vote if they don't at least know who the candidates are and what the involved issues are about. There are a lot of voters that have no clue at all and just vote the party line.

Answer 4

Australia has long had the compulsory vote. there is an automatic fine of 100 dollars if you don't show.The result is that people see their compulsory attendance to be an infringment on their freedom and deliberately spoil their vote. horse? water?

Answer 5

convinced there is, and precisely which includes your opt for-out. even as i grow to be at college, the scholars' Union elections weren't mandatory, yet though there grow to be always a field for RON on the bottom of the poll, which stood for 'Re-Open Nomination' - a none-of-the-above decision. i have oftentimes concept that with that caveat, vote casting must be mandatory - people died to provide us the vote and we ought to always use it.

Answer 6

You would definitely have protest votes.

Heaven knows what people would vote for, just to get back at the government.

You could end up with extremist parties, left and right, getting MPs elected.

Leave well alone.

Answer 7

Yes

Answer 8

What would be the point of that? If the non voters went to register a 'none of the above' vote, which is essentially what they are saying by not voting, the result would be the same. There would be nothing to gain by having it on paper that they cant make a decision about who to vote for.

Answer 9

Why? There are so many people who really dont understand politics in this country and its best they dont just tick a box because they are forced to. Besides, not everyone can get to a polling station if they work many hours a day!

Answer 10

I am an American living in Australia. From my limited experience in talking to people, most of them take their vote seriously. They pay attention to the issues and try to vote intelligently. In the U.S., politicians have to get people to show up AND convince them to vote for them when they do. From a cynical point of view, you might say they have to work twice as hard as Australian politicians to get people to swallow their lies. In my view, Australian politicians are neither more nor less honest than anywhere else, but I find Australians to be less trusting (and less divisive) than American voters. Maybe it's a function of being required to vote, of always having to make the choice between the lesser of the evils. I believe that citizens, if required to do their duty, will mostly try to do a good job of it. Amazingly, many people who choose to vote give very little thought to their choices of candidates. That won't change. We are required to serve on juries and to send our children to school, among other ways of participating in the lives of our communities. Sometimes we need a little push to do what's right. I think it's a good idea to require citizens to vote. It helps people eliminate their own lame excuses and develop pride in participating in their government.

Answer 11

That would make us a dictatorship - I think whichever government would be stupid enough to force a vote, would be immediately voted out by the concientious abstainers.