There are a number of reasons why voting should be made mandatory. Most importantly, a large proportion of the population in India does not regularly participate in elections. Those who do not regularly vote are viewed by many as being “fickle”, and it is argued that “fickle voters” may result in the election results being skewed towards one party or the other. An additional reason to make voting compulsory is that the question of democracy is frequently raised when there is concern that fundamental human rights may be threatened. People are worried about their civil liberties and are fearful that politicians will take away their rights. Ultimately, they are right to be concerned, but in reality, a democratic society does not threaten the fundamental freedoms of individuals.
Individuals who do not regularly participate in elections tend to be older, and their income is lower than the average citizen. Consequently, they have less money to invest in political campaigns and are therefore less likely to vote. Those who do participate in elections are generally affluent and belong to higher-income groups. Consequently, the relative power of these different groups may have an impact on the election result.
The need to make voting mandatory is not based on any theory of objective fact. It is not necessary to prove that a high turnout will improve a country s overall quality of life. However, there is good reason to believe that it would make political life more meaningful, help tackle the pressing political challenges facing the nation today, and increase citizens’ confidence in their government and political parties. If voting were made compulsory, then many citizens would feel that they had more influence over their government. It is also likely that the political parties would spend more time and effort focusing on their vision and values rather than trying to garner support from individuals who may have little knowledge or interest in the political process. Ultimately, this would have a positive effect on citizens’ lives and contribute to economic growth.
There are a number of benefits associated with compulsory voting. If voting were made compulsory, parties would be forced to address issues concerning their platforms and priorities before they launch their election campaign. This would provide an opportunity for citizens to engage in meaningful debate about the direction in which the country is moving. It would also encourage candidates to speak about critical but overlooked issues. Given the high level of cynicism surrounding most elections, compulsory voting would allow voters to take a step back and take a look at the bigger picture.
Some claim that compulsory voting can limit the amount of participation by citizens in local and national elections. Proponents of compulsory voting argue that a stronger mandate enables lower barriers to entry for small and medium scale businesses and that individuals who are not registered as voters will have no impact on election results. On the other side of the argument, opponents argue that compulsory voting could lead to a narrowing of political representation which could inhibit the voice of smaller parties and reduce political equality. Ultimately, they say, compulsory voting could lead to lower voter turnout and a greater level of corruption.
There are many arguments against making voting compulsory. One of the main objections is that it will inevitably lead to higher turnout because some people will not want to vote because they feel that they cannot. Others argue that the impact of a compulsory vote will be negligible because those who do not vote will just choose to abstain rather than vote. Finally, some suggest that democracy and representative government are threatened by the increased use of compulsory voting, claiming that it could lead to separation of powers, corruption and nepotism among leaders. Regardless of these arguments, it is clear that whether or not a person wants to vote should not be the deciding factor when they cast a ballot.
Proponents of making voting compulsory state that the current lack of accountability in politics is one of the many reasons why we have low voter turnout. Elected officials often receive donations and favours from special interest groups, corporations and other individuals. This money often influences their decisions and may lead them to take the interests of certain groups over the interest of the public. In addition, politicians are pressured by public pressure to maintain unpopular policies. For example, if a favourite policy was recently pulled from the agenda due to public pressure, it may cause the politician to lose support within the voters. Making voting compulsory would remove this ability for politicians to seek favours from special interest groups.
Proponents of compulsory voting argue that citizens deserve fair and equal representation in politics regardless of whether they vote or not. Making voting mandatory, can increase the number of women and other minorities elected at all levels of government and give everyone the right to choose their leaders. They also argue that mandatory voting promotes more honest and open government rather than the current system where there is a majority of one party controlling the levers of power. Furthermore, they believe that compulsory voting helps keep political secrets honest. If voting is made compulsory, more honest leaders will be elected because there will be less incentive to do dishonest acts in an election.
