Go on, vote!

There are 32 countries in the world that have compulsory voting. Australia (where we presently live) is one of them.

Of those 32, 19 enforce compulsory voting. Australia is one of them.

I’m persuaded by the arguments for both non-compulsory and compulsory voting. It’s a vexed question.

Here are two, well reasoned, erudite arguments for, and two against. We won’t be taking a vote at the end:

Forcing people to vote is like forcing people to wear seat belts; if they are too pig-ignorant to do so on the obvious merits of the activity then the system in question is better off without them (politics in the one instance, the world in the other)

Making voting optional is like making taking out the trash optional. If you don’t do it, either you are soon hip-deep in trash or some fat guy named Guido and his very large sons gets the contract in some back room deal and soon you are being gouged like a Liberian diamond mine.

Forcing people to vote means that elections depend on the vacant scribblings of knuckle-dragging, mouth breathers who think that reality TV is reality TV.

Making voting optional means that elections depend on some guy with a loud-hailer a warm bus, a pocket full of 50s, and the promise of donuts.