|
Should Voting be Compulsory in Ireland
 Participation
in Irish elections hovers around 63 percent. Such a low turnout
leaves the field open to special-interests groups with the available
resources to get their candidates elected and their agendas at the
forefront of government policy, oftentimes to the detriment of the
common good. The most effective way to even the playing field is by
mandating all eligible citizens to register and vote.
To that end, the proponents of reunited Ireland believe that voting
should be mandatory in all elections and referendums.
We based that belief on the proposition that a healthy democracy
requires the input of all its eligible voting citizens
so that government policy is supported by a majority of the
entire electorate.
Mandatory voting is a requirement set in law that requires eligible
citizens to register and vote in elections. If a citizen chooses not
to vote, penalties can be imposed absent of prescribed verifiable
reasons for abstaining. Whether to make mandatory voting a
constitutional provision versus a statutory requirement is complex
and best left to the drafters of the constitution to decide.
One may argue that compelling people to vote infringes on their
freedom of choice in voting, Yet, as empowered citizens we are
mandated to serve on juries, pay taxes, take a driving test, secure
building permits---
among other government mandates --- at risk of penalty.
Voting has such a significant impact on government's policy that
treating it as a choice would diminish its relevance and by
extension jeopardize the well-being of the nation as a whole.
When Benjamin
Franklin was
asked after a session of the Constitutional Convention, "What kind
of a government have you given us?" he replied, "A democracy, if you
can keep it." implying that democracy is not self-sustaining and
that citizens have a duty to keep it alive.
According to the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
(IDEA) publication
‘Compulsory Voting’
at least 27 countries require mandatory voting for all eligible
citizens. In Australia where voting has been mandatory since 1924,
people who fail to vote are required to explain their reason for
abstaining. If the explanation is unsatisfactory a fine is imposed.
For subsequent failures to vote or respond to notices requiring
explanations, the fines are increased to the point where an offender
may lose driving privileges.
Australia’s mandatory voting requirement came about as a result
of the poor turnout in the 1922 election when less than 60 percent
of eligible voters cast votes. In the subsequent 1925 election 91
percent of eligible voters cast votes. In recent elections, the
turnout has been about 95 percent primarily due to the fact that
most Australians now consider voting an obligation. Few if any of
the feared negative effects, materialized.
For young first-time voters, the prospect of having to vote can be
sobering in that they are faced with myriad competing political philosophies
and promises of better tomorrows.
For many of them it’s a dawning realization that they are now adults
faced with a decision that will, to some degree, impact government
policies going forward and possibly their own future. To that end
educational institutions should ensure that young voters are
sufficiently versed in the electoral process so that they can make
informed choices with a degree of confidence. Furthermore, its
incumbent on contesting political parties to ensure that practical
information is available to young voters regarding each party's
economic, environmental, sustainability and other policies that will
impact the world they inherit for better or worse.
In today’s world compulsory voting need not be a burden on anyone.
There are numerous government data-based systems in Ireland as
elsewhere that can be utilized to accommodate the registration and,
for that matter, the voting record of every eligible voter. As
onerous as that seems, it’s a fact of life in modern societies. In
addition to the information databases, there are a number of methods
that can be utilized to accommodate every eligible voter to cast
their vote securely and practically effortlessly. In addition to the
standard on-site voting method other methods including by-mail
voting, absentee voting, online voting and early voting can be
utilized effectively by all voters, particularly the elderly,
disabled and other impacted voters.
The one class of Irish citizens prohibited from voting are emigrants/expats,
namely citizens working and/or domiciled outside of Ireland. The only exceptions are individuals on
the government's payroll, such as embassy and consulate personnel
and their spouses and members of the armed forces and
police on assignments overseas.
Over
the decades since the formation of the Free State, the unending
exodus out of Ireland of people in search of work was viewed by
successive Irish governments as a blessing in disguise for it relieved
pressure on the system whose primary focus was survival. They
understood that disgruntled emigrants would not be supportive of any party in power, facing
reelection. Best, they believed, -- was to keep them away from the ballot.
Despite the many changes and opportunities brought about by the
information age,
there is still no incentive for Irish politicians to grant emigrants
voting rights. Those of us who advocate
for compulsory voting also would advocate for Irish
citizens residing outside the country having the right to vote in national and presidential
elections and referendums.
TMMTP
Date posted 8/6/2022
|
