Jeanne Said:

Compulsory voting like they have in Australia?

We Answered:

I live in Australia and i think that the disadvantage is that the people who dont want to vote will just vote for the stupidest candidate but in my opinion i am lucky to live in Australia and by living in australia i feel as if i should vote and that should be for all people. Think about those people in countries that arent are democracy, they would love to vote.

Howard Said:

I Need Help? The topic of debate is That Australia should abolish compulsory voting!?

We Answered:

Arguments:
1. Civic Duty vs. Civil Right - It is a right that we have in a democracy, that we are allowed to vote. The essence of it is so we can have a choice. By mandating/forcing people to vote you are destroying the very essence of the electoral system by removing the people's choice on whether or not to vote.

2. Religious Infringement - Some religions like Jehovah's Witnesses say that its adherents should totally stay away from political processes. Meaning that the government would force them to go against their beliefs and vote? That is oppresive and discriminatory.

3. Choice - Argue on how we lose freedom by being forced to do something, and it goes against the spirit of democracy by imposing this oppressive measure.

P.S. For your 1st Debater Here's some advice:
STATE YOUR POLICY, clearly, what exactly are you trying to do:
I suggest saying that rather that mandating compulsory voting we could promote voting through advertising campaigns, but not necessarily mandate it.

Joseph Said:

What would happen if Australia didn't have the compulsory voting rule?

We Answered:

Only the smart people would vote. So then John howard would be back.

Rodney Said:

Australia should abolish compulsory voting?

We Answered:

Arguments in favour of compulsory voting
A common argument for compulsory voting is that such a system guarantees that the government represents a majority of the population, not only individuals who vote. This helps ensure that governments do not neglect sections of society that are less active politically.

It is also argued that voting is a "civic duty", like paying taxes, and is important for the harmonious functioning of a society. Political leaders of compulsory systems may claim greater political legitimacy than those of non-compulsory systems with lower voter turnout.

While the secret ballot is designed to prevent interference with the votes actually cast, the argument for compulsory voting is that it aims to prevent interference with access to the vote. It is a measure to prevent disenfranchisement of the socially disadvantaged, and mitigate the impact that external factors may have on an individual's capacity to vote (weather, transport, employer, etc). Polls are generally held on a Saturday or Sunday[citation needed], to ensure that working people can fulfill their duty to cast their vote. Similarly, mobile voting booths may also be taken to old age homes and hospitals to cater for immobilized citizens, and postal voting may be provided for people who are away from their electorate on election day.


Arguments against compulsory voting
A common argument against compulsory voting holds that voting is not a civic duty, but rather a civil right. While citizens may exercise their legal rights (free speech, voting, etc.) they are not compelled to. Compulsory voting can be seen as infringing a basic freedom of the citizen. Some consider the fining of recalcitrant voters to be more oppressive again.

Further, compulsory voting may infringe other basic rights. For example, most Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they should not participate in political processes. Forcing them to vote would explicitly deny them their freedom of religious practice. In some countries with universal voting, Jehovah's Witnesses and others may be excused on these grounds.

Some individuals resent the idea of compulsory voting, particularly if they have no interest in politics or no knowledge of the candidates. Others may be well-informed, but have no preference for any particular candidate. Such people may vote at random simply to fulfill legal requirements: the so called donkey-vote may account for 1-2% of votes in these systems.

Where advocates of compulsory voting might argue that such a system has a higher degree of representation, some supporters of voluntary voting assert that low voter participation in a voluntary election is itself an expression of the citizenry's political will: it indicates satisfaction with the political establishment in an electorate. Unqualified generalizations of this sort should be treated carefully however, as low voter turn out could be interpreted by others to indicate voter dissatisfaction.