Making voting compulsory is wrong
Exercising one’s franchise is the fundamental right of every citizen but
not a duty. Mandatory voting cannot be enforced in India. The 255th Law Commission Report says “electoral right” of the voter
includes the right to “vote or refrain from voting at an election.” Compulsory voting in India has been
rejected many a times on the grounds of practical difficulties.
Democracies need to accommodate dissent and diversity of views. This includes the right to abstain from
voting. Compulsory voting will not improve
political participation. The Australian experience with compulsory
voting has revealed that. Compulsory
voting may lead to more vote buying by candidates especially in a country like
India. Making voting compulsory also kills the option of not voting as a
protest. Forcing individuals to cast
ballots against their will can lead to empty votes, or donkey votes.
Compulsory voting would do more harm than good. It is true that the main
benefit of compulsory voting is a larger voter turnout. But many individuals
choose not to vote because they are uncertain of their choices or harbour equal
faith for all parties on the ballot. Votes should be cast by individuals who
strongly believe in the people they vote for, not by individuals who vote
because they have no other choice.
Voting is a personal choice made by individuals who strongly believe in
the parties they vote for. Compulsory voting is wrong and should not be forced
on anyone. The only votes that
carry any weight are the votes cast by confident voters who stand behind their
decisions.
No comments:
Post a Comment