Today, a young Brazilian asked me for my opinion on mandatory voting in India. He remarked that in Brazil it was compulsory to vote. And if you don’t, there is a fine.
I replied, speaking entirely in my personal capacity, that I favored mandatory voting. Australia, along with Brazil, are two major countries that follow this policy. While there are certainly negatives to mandatory voting, I believe that the practice can help erase the great tragedy of Indian voting: The apathy of our middle class.
As a democracy, we are very fortunate. The poor, or underprivileged, vote en mass. This is a testimony to the strength of Indian democracy. In most democracies, this is not the case.
What is unfortunate, and I have written repeatedly about this, is that our upper and middle class remains apathetic. It is not unknown for people not to bother to register to vote, or to show up at the polling booth, see a long line standing in the heat and decide they can’t be bothered. Mandatory voting would cure this indifference, as voters would have to engage with the system. However, in India, mandatory voting doesn’t seem to be on the horizon. The impressive voter turnout in phase 1 of the Lok Sabha elections may have prompted the Supreme Court on April 17 to reject the idea of enforcing a law to make it compulsory for citizens to vote. One could argue that, being a democracy, not voting is also a democratic right. I don’t disagree in theory. But that’s like saying that choosing not to breathe is also a human right.
We are fortunate to live in a country that follows this political system. People in so many countries around the world live in dictatorial or fascist regimes. Countless Indians sacrificed so much for us to earn the right to vote.
As nation, it is imperative that we exercise our franchise. Voting is not just a right, it’s a responsibility.