Delta4Embassy
Gold Member
Heard this on 'Last Week Tonight' or whatever it is. Interesting fact. Looking it up:
"Present day[edit]
As of August 2013[update], 22 countries were recorded as having compulsory voting.[1] Of these, only 10 countries (and one Swiss canton) enforce it. Of the 30 member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 10 had forms of compulsory voting.[18]
Enforced[edit]
These are the 11 countries that enforce compulsory voting:
* Argentina – Introduced in 1912.[19] Compulsory for citizens between 18 and 70 years old, non-compulsory for those older than 70 and between 16 and 18. (However in primaries, citizens under 70 may refuse to vote, if they formally express their decision to the electoral authorities, at least 48 hours before the election. This is valid only for the subsequent primary, and needs to be repeated each time the voter wishes not to participate.)
* Australia – Introduced in 1924.[19] Compulsory for federal and state elections for citizens 18 years of age and above. The requirement is for the person to enroll, attend a polling station and have their name marked off the electoral roll as attending, receive a ballot paper and take it to an individual voting booth, mark it, fold the ballot paper and place it in the ballot box. 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. In some states, local council elections are also compulsory.[20] At the 2010 Tasmanian state election, about 6,000 people were fined $26 for not voting, and about 2,000 paid the fine.[21]
* Brazil[22] – Compulsory for literate citizens between 18 and 70 years old. Non-compulsory for citizens aged 16 or 17 or illiterate citizens of any age. A justification form for not voting can be filled at election centers and post offices.
* Cyprus - Introduced in 1960.[19]
* Ecuador – Introduced in 1936.[19] Compulsory for citizens between 18 and 65 years old; non-compulsory for citizens aged 16–18, illiterate people, and those older than 65.
* Liechtenstein
* Luxembourg - Voluntary for those over 70.
* Nauru - Introduced in 1965.[19]
* Peru[23] – Introduced in 1933.[19] Compulsory for citizens between 18 and 70 years old, non-compulsory for those older than 70.
* Singapore – Compulsory for citizens above 21 years old on the 1st of January of the year of election
* Uruguay - Introduced in 1934, but not put into practice until 1970.[19]
There is one canton in Switzerland that enforces compulsory voting:
* Schaffhausen - Introduced in Switzerland in 1904, but abolished in other cantons in 1974.[19]"
Compulsory voting - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
"Present day[edit]
As of August 2013[update], 22 countries were recorded as having compulsory voting.[1] Of these, only 10 countries (and one Swiss canton) enforce it. Of the 30 member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 10 had forms of compulsory voting.[18]
Enforced[edit]
These are the 11 countries that enforce compulsory voting:
* Argentina – Introduced in 1912.[19] Compulsory for citizens between 18 and 70 years old, non-compulsory for those older than 70 and between 16 and 18. (However in primaries, citizens under 70 may refuse to vote, if they formally express their decision to the electoral authorities, at least 48 hours before the election. This is valid only for the subsequent primary, and needs to be repeated each time the voter wishes not to participate.)
* Australia – Introduced in 1924.[19] Compulsory for federal and state elections for citizens 18 years of age and above. The requirement is for the person to enroll, attend a polling station and have their name marked off the electoral roll as attending, receive a ballot paper and take it to an individual voting booth, mark it, fold the ballot paper and place it in the ballot box. 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. In some states, local council elections are also compulsory.[20] At the 2010 Tasmanian state election, about 6,000 people were fined $26 for not voting, and about 2,000 paid the fine.[21]
* Brazil[22] – Compulsory for literate citizens between 18 and 70 years old. Non-compulsory for citizens aged 16 or 17 or illiterate citizens of any age. A justification form for not voting can be filled at election centers and post offices.
* Cyprus - Introduced in 1960.[19]
* Ecuador – Introduced in 1936.[19] Compulsory for citizens between 18 and 65 years old; non-compulsory for citizens aged 16–18, illiterate people, and those older than 65.
* Liechtenstein
* Luxembourg - Voluntary for those over 70.
* Nauru - Introduced in 1965.[19]
* Peru[23] – Introduced in 1933.[19] Compulsory for citizens between 18 and 70 years old, non-compulsory for those older than 70.
* Singapore – Compulsory for citizens above 21 years old on the 1st of January of the year of election
* Uruguay - Introduced in 1934, but not put into practice until 1970.[19]
There is one canton in Switzerland that enforces compulsory voting:
* Schaffhausen - Introduced in Switzerland in 1904, but abolished in other cantons in 1974.[19]"
Compulsory voting - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
