Cumpulsory voting in Americas

Did everyone know that cumpulsory voting was a law in many countries?

ENFORCED
Argentina
Brazil
Ecuador
Peru
Uruguay

NOT ENFORCED
Bolivia
Chile
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Guatemala
Honduras
Mexico
Paraguay


It's an interesting idea of tens of millions of people voting so they don't get a fine.

Quote: Pacomartin

Did everyone know that cumpulsory voting was a law in many countries?

I didn't know it was compulsory in Mexico.

I haven't voted since I moved, because my polling place is too far away (reasons unknown). When I get a notice to report for training to staff the polling place, I ignore it. Most people do.

If I were absolutely forced to vote, I'd either refuse and dare the government to arrest me (I wouldn't pay a fine). Or more likely I would cast a blank ballot, or scrawl on it: cast purposefully blank to avoid statutory penalty.

Quote: Pacomartin

Did everyone know that cumpulsory voting was a law in many countries?

ENFORCED
Argentina
Brazil
Ecuador
Peru
Uruguay

It's an interesting idea of tens of millions of people voting so they don't get a fine.

I had no idea. News to me.
I of course love democracy but feel uncomfortable about this type of law.
Does it work?
How long have these countries been doing this?
How honest is the election process in these countries?
Why was this law passed?
Is this law enforced?

I think you forgot the country wherein voting is most strongly enforced with major fines and jail terms: Australia. I know Australia is not in "The Americas" but it is the country most famous for its attitudes to enforcing their compulsory voting laws.

Many of the countries listed are poor and poorly governed and famous for military dictatorships.

Argentina is in utter financial collapse, its La Presedenta suspected of murdering the prosecutor who wanted her indicted for mass murder, its currency worthless and is busy passing laws requiring tourists to pay in hard currency. So what does mandatory voting mean there? The only jobs available there are as applauders during a political speech.

Quote: Nareed

I didn't know it was compulsory in Mexico.

It is one of five obligations in article 36 of the constitution. But no law has ever been passed to punish people who don't vote.

Article 36. The obligations of citizens of the Republic are:
I. To register on the tax lists of the municipality, declaring the property they possess, the industry, profession, or occupation by which they subsist; and also to register in the electoral poll-books, according to the provisions prescribed by law;
II. To enlist in the National Guard;
III. To vote in popular elections in the electoral district to which they belong;
IV. To serve in the elective offices of the Federation or of the States, which shall in no case be gratuitous;
V. To serve in municipal council positions where they reside, and to fulfill electoral and jury functions.

Quote: Fleastiff

I think you forgot the country wherein voting is most strongly enforced with major fines and jail terms: Australia. I know Australia is not in "The Americas" but it is the country most famous for its attitudes to enforcing their compulsory voting laws.

I listed the Americas mostly to keep the list short, and because most of the political systems were nominally modeled after the USA. There are no prime ministers in the Americas, and the head of government and the head of state are the same person. The European system almost always split those functions (and sometimes use a monarch as head of state).


President Obama cites the Australian system as an exemplar. The Australians brought in a system of compulsory attendance at elections in 1924. Voters are obliged to attend the polling station but can leave without voting after ticking their names off. Non-attendees face fines of AU$20-$AU50 and possible imprisonment if they refuse to pay their fines (as punishment for failing to pay rather than for not voting).The act does not explicitly state that a choice must be made, it only states that the ballot paper be 'marked'. According to the act how a person marks the paper is completely up to the individual. So it is possible to comply with the law and simply put a scratch mark on the back of the paper. The assumption is that most people will not bother to waste their time in this way. In a nation built on immigration, Australian supporters of the system say compulsory voting is a symbol of the integration of new arrivals into the Australian way of doing things.”

Obviously such a system would be a boon to Democrats in the USA, as Republicans vote at a much higher percentage.

Obama wants that here but it would take
an amendment to the Constitution, which
will never happen. Unenforceable anyway.
It's every Libs pipedream to get every
minority who can walk to the polls.

Quote: Evenbob

Obama wants that here but it would take an amendment to the Constitution, which will never happen. Unenforceable anyway.

I am not sure why that would require a constitutional amendment. No law, even the prohibition against murder, can be enforced 100%. Even if it was enforced with the same level of effort that goes into enforcing traffic tickets means that a much larger percentage of voters will turn out.

I heard it's because it would be against the
Constitution, so it needs a new amendment.
Also, non voting is a vote. They can't make
you choose between two awful candidates.
Like Hillary and Jeb, for instance.

Against what part of the constitution, specifically?

They can compel you to serve in the military. They can compel you to serve on a jury. Making you show up to cast a ballot doesn't seem like much of a stretch.

The Australian system seems to require you to show up at a polling booth and put a marked ballot in a box. It doesn't say it can't be a smiley face. If it is against the constitution (which I don't see) then it won't happen. We really only added that one stupid amendemnt about pay in over 43 years.