Compulsory Turnout: A Compelling (and Contingent) Case
| Author | Dean Machin |
| Published date | 01 June 2011 |
| Date | 01 June 2011 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9256.2011.01408.x |
| Subject Matter | Controversy |
Controversy
Compulsory Turnout: A Compelling
(and Contingent) Caseponl_1408100..106
Dean Machin
University of Warwick
Politics has published a variety of articles recently on compulsory voting including Saunders’
argument against it. This article argues against Saunders and makes some general claims.
I show that there is a democratic values-based case for voter compulsion and that the case for
compulsory turnout is not ‘parasitic’ on the case for compulsory voting as has been alleged. In
making my argument I show that there is no general case for (or against) political compulsion.
Instead, arguments must be predicated on the particular characteristics of different political
systems.
Politics has published a variety of articles recently on compulsory voting including
Ben Saunders’ (2010) argument against it. While this article focuses on Saunders’
claims (and argues against them) my purpose is more general.
Despite some background noise, Saunders offers a simple normative argument
against compulsory voting. He claims that:
1. Greater voting is not necessarily more democratic than less voting.
2. Compulsory voting limits individual liberty.
In light of 1 and 2 the case for compulsory voting is unmotivated. This article starts
by distinguishing between three different questions that are sometimes conflated;
then it shows that there is a democratic values-based case for compulsory voting. It
does this primarily through explaining some of the possible effects of compulsion in
different political systems and in different kinds of election. Finally, I argue that
while compulsory voting is unacceptable there is a principled and independent case
for compulsory turnout.
Overall the argument is that the plausibility of compulsory voting is contingent on
the characteristics of specific political systems and particular votes; that, in light of
this, simple normative arguments such as Saunders’ should be rejected as uninter-
esting; and that the case for compulsory turnout is not ‘parasitic’ (Lever, 2009,
p. 224) on the case for compulsory voting.
To simplify things, and except where stated, I confine my focus to elections that
determine the make-up of a polity’s legislature.
POLITICS: 2011 VOL 31(2), 100–106
© 2011 The Author.Politics © 2011 Political Studies Association
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