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  • Essay / Compulsory Voting Essay - 797

    There have been many debates about the legalization of compulsory voting throughout political history and, more importantly, its place in a democratic society. Compulsory voting at the Commonwealth level was recognized in Australia in 1924 under section 245(1) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act, which states: "It is the duty of every elector to vote at every election" (Australian Electoral Commission, 2011). Since the introduction of compulsory voting, its legitimacy in society has generated both strong defenses and strong opposition, which this essay will highlight through the concept of its coherence with representative democracy and its capacity to guarantee that the parties reflect the will of all. Rather, opponents argue that it increases the number of safe voters and forces uninformed people to vote. Australian politics is built on the concept of representative democracy, a term used to describe any political system where the will of the citizens is respected. equal political rights are reflected in law-making and governance (Miragliotta, et al 2013, p.2). As a core value of democracy, compulsory voting increases the legitimacy of elected representatives, allowing citizens to retain power and ensuring that candidates who win seats reflect the majority of the people's ideals. Since the introduction of compulsory voting at the federal level in 1924, voter turnout in elections has not fallen below 90%, demonstrating that the Australian political system reflects an almost perfect model of democratic representation (AEC, 2011; Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010). ; Evans, 2006, p. Therefore, without compulsory voting, "Australian democracy would likely experience the same citizenship crisis... middle of paper ......y to represent the best interests of the community." Compulsory voting in Australia has been both welcomed and resisted by all groups of people in the community. For a policy that has existed at the federal level since 1924, there has been much debate about its democratic role in today's society and whether its abolition would result in a rollback of political participation. As with any debate, there are valid arguments for and against. In answering the essay question, we can conclude that compulsory voting is a necessary and essential aspect of the Australian political system because it ensures that society's beliefs and values ​​are reflected in Parliament. and legislate. This is consistent with the concept of democracy in that it allows Australian citizens to retain much of the power, ensuring that those elected are held accountable to the people..