compulsory voting

Savannah Clark
11/10/13
AP Revised Practice Essay

Argumentative Compulsory Voting

My personal experience as a voter has left me feeling indignant and upset, I find myself astonished that nearly a fraction of eligible voters actually cast ballots. What is even more astonishing and shocking is that the turn out for local elections is even smaller. Perhaps the ideal and most efficient way to increase voting is compulsory voting. Compulsory voting will open eyes to what voting can accomplish and achieve for one’s self by requiring all adults in a specified area to vote.
I remember as a child listening to my grandparents talk to my mother, explaining to her that she had no right to complain about how the government was being ran because she hadn’t voted that year. This rang true not only to my mother, but to me. Even at a young age I learned, if you see something that needs fixed, you fix it to the best of your abilities. This applies to any issue a person may have with the government. If you disagree with someone or something in our government the first and best place to start is voting. Voting allows your voice, and the voice of the people to be heard.
Australia is one of the most economically stable and successful country’s in the world. Also, Australia is one of several other countries that have participated in compulsory voting for all adults in their country. By instating compulsory voting Australia is ensuring that no voice goes unheard. Every citizen’s opinion matters. This creates a healthy bond between common citizens and the government and their officials. Often time’s citizens do not see the significance of voting. They fear their opinion doesn’t matter and they don’t understand the impact that voting can have.
Everyone by now has taken a history class or two and knows the sacrifice that was made for our right to vote. This makes it even more absurd that only a fraction of people are casting ballots. We know the things that were done for us so that we may vote today and that or voice will be heard in our government. Men suffered and died defending our rights to vote. Now I ask you, if these men were here standing before you could you look them in the eye and tell them you weren’t going to vote? Could you tell them that even though they went through immense suffering for out right to vote that you didn’t want to vote? Or that you couldn’t make it to the polls because you had a busy day and that it didn’t work with your schedule. We owe it not only to ourselves but to the men who fought for our right to vote to go out and actually vote. This will only occur only when compulsory voting is in effect.
Blacks, Women, and men without land or societal stature were gracious to finally be able to have a say on how their government was to be ran, and we should too. But, sadly not all people feel like that. This is why compulsory voting needs to be constitutionalized. Compulsory voting will bring people to the polls and promote gracious behavior. People will soon realize the significance and the importance or voting. They will understand the impact they can have on society and they will know they are being heard.
All over the world countries are constitutionalizing compulsory voting and the results have been outstanding. The voice of the people is guiding the government to achieving success in the things the people want. Compulsory voting is the key to a newfound realization that is much needed for people to see how important voting really is. Compulsory voting may not be needed for long, but is needed now.