Arguments used in favour of compulsory voting:
- voting is a civic duty comparable to other duties citizens perform eg taxation, compulsory education, jury duty
- the educative benefits of political participation
- parliament reflects more accurately the "will of the electorate"
- governments must consider the total electorate in policy formulation and management
- candidates can concentrate their campaigning energies on issues rather than encouraging voters to attend the poll
- the voter isn’t actually compelled to vote for anyone because voting is by secret ballot.
- it is undemocratic to force people to vote - an infringement of liberty
- the "ignorant" and those with little interest in politics are forced to the polls
- it may increase the number of "donkey votes"
- it may increase the number of informal votes
- it increases the number of safe, single-member electorates - political parties then concentrate on the more marginal electorates
- resources must be allocated to determine whether those who failed to vote have "valid and sufficient" reasons.