Compulsory voting

Compulsory voting is a legal requirement that eligible citizens participate in elections, usually enforced through penalties or exemptions. It differs from compulsory turnout registration, which may require only appearing at a polling place.

Electoral turnout: The share of eligible voters who cast ballots in an election. Compulsory voting seeks to raise this measure by making participation a legal duty.
Compulsory voting in Australia: Australia's system requiring eligible citizens to enroll and attend federal elections, with penalties for unjustified nonattendance. It is a prominent example of a long-running, actively enforced national mandate.
Voluntary voting: An electoral system in which eligible voters may choose whether to participate without a legal attendance duty. It is the direct alternative to making electoral participation mandatory.
Political participation: Activities through which people seek to influence public decisions and political outcomes. Voting mandates intervene in one widespread, institutionally defined form of participation.
Voter registration: The process by which eligible people are recorded as voters. Registration rules determine who can be identified and notified about a voting obligation.
Compulsory voting in Belgium: Belgium's legal requirement for eligible citizens to attend elections, established in the nineteenth century. Its system shows that a mandate can persist even when enforcement varies over time.
Automatic voter registration: A system that registers eligible people through government records without requiring them to apply. It can reduce participation barriers without requiring voters to cast a ballot.
Voter turnout and election outcomes: The study of how electoral participation rates relate to candidates' and parties' results. Higher participation can change which groups' preferences shape election results.
Voting age: The minimum age at which a person is legally entitled to vote. It helps define which citizens fall under a compulsory voting law.
Compulsory voting in Brazil: Brazil's requirement that most literate citizens aged 18 to 70 vote, with exemptions for specified groups. It illustrates a mandate with explicit age, literacy, and exemption rules.

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