It was in 1928 that universal suffrage was granted to the United Kingdom. Before this time, people fought for the right to vote so their opinions could be expressed, but now that we have that right, voting doesn't seem so important. Before deciding whether voting should be compulsory or optional, it is essential to understand what exactly is meant by the term “compulsory voting”. It is also important to further educate the general public about politics so that they can make an informed decision if and when they decide to vote. Finally, a comparison should be made with other countries that currently impose compulsory voting to better understand how it would work. The term “compulsory voting” is a misnomer because it is impossible to verify whether everyone voted or not, since it is a secret. ballot; it is simply attendance that is obligatory. Lever (2008) believes that if voting were an obligation, then the right not to vote would be violated. However, since voting is confidential, the right not to vote is still maintained at the polling station (Lacroix, 2007; Engelen, 2009), where citizens can choose to vote blank, so that those who are not in favor of voting mandatory cannot vote. argue that this is a violation of human rights. As Lacroix then explains, compulsory voting does not go against Article 9 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights, nor Article 3 of the First Additional Protocol, again emphasizing that this cannot be used as an argument by those who oppose compulsory voting. . To ensure that fundamental rights are not violated, “an empty option can and should be provided on the ballot...and an additional option “none of the above” should be added” (Engelen, 2009: 219 ), which would allow the voter's opinion...... middle of document ......=46 (Consulted November 4, 2009)Engelen, B. (2009), “Why liberals can favor compulsory attendance”, Politics, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp 218-22Faulks, K. (2001), “Should voting be compulsory? », Politics Review, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp 24-25Heywood, A. (2007), Politics, London: Palgrave MacMillanIDEA (2002), Voter turnout since 1945: global report. Available at: http://www.idea.int/publications/vt/upload/VT_screenopt_2002.pdf (accessed November 29, 2009)IDEA (2009), Compulsory voting. Available at: http://www.idea.int/vt/compulsory_voting.cfm (accessed November 18, 2009)Kavanagh, D. (1983), Political Science and Political Behavior, London: Allen and UnwinLacroix, J. (2007) , “A liberal defense of compulsory voting”, Politics, Vol. 27, no. 3, pp 190-195 Lever, A. (2008), ““A liberal defense of compulsory voting”: some reasons for skepticism”, Politics, Vol. 28, no. 1, p.. 61-64