1. A BALANCED BALLOT By Bevan Hamilton October 30, 2013

2. CANADA’S VOTING SNAPSHOT  http://elections.ca/content.aspx?section=ele&dir=turn&document=index&lang=e http://elections.ca/content.aspx?section=ele&dir=turn&document=index&lang=e  High of 79.4% in March 1958  Low of 58.8% in October 2008  Problem: downward voting trend  Compulsory Voting debate

3. VOTING LAWS IN CANADA  You are eligible to vote in Canada if you are: - a Canadian citizen - at least 18 years of age - registered to vote  Ways to vote: - Vote at your advance poll - Vote at your local Elections Canada office (anytime during the election) - Vote by mail - Vote on election day at your assigned polling station  There is accessibility to vote for every Canadian, including the homeless and prison inmates (excluding murder convictions)

4. PROFILE: AUSTRALIA  Compulsory enrolment was introduced in 1912  Compulsory voting was introduced on July 24, 1924  Voter turnout increased from 59.3 % (1922) to 91 % (1925)  Lowest turnout since 1925 is 93.84 % (1987)  Fines for failing to vote

5. COMPULSORY VOTING WORLDVIEW Countries with enforced voting: Argentina Australia Brazil Democratic Republic of the Congo Ecuador Luxembourg Nauru Peru Singapore Uruguay

6. WORLDVIEW CONT. Non-enforced compulsory voting: Belgium Bolivia Costa Rica Dominican Republic Egypt Greece Honduras Lebanon (men only) Libya Mexico Panama Paraguay Thailand Turkey

7. VIDEOS  Video 1: Aussie streeter: Mandatory Voting Video 1: Aussie streeter: Mandatory Voting  BBC Katie Beck (2013) - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23819068 BBC Katie Beck (2013) - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23819068  Video 2: Prof. Jason Brennan - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzTtsIf43WYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzTtsIf43WY

8. ARGUMENT FOR COMPULSORY VOTING  Decisions made by democratically elected governments are more legitimate when higher proportions of the population participate  Educational effect upon the citizens  Does not enforce compulsory voting, only compulsory participation  If democracy is government by the people, then it is every citizen's responsibility to elect their representatives  Compulsory voting keeps the political system responsive to the people  Voting is a democratic right that Canadians shouldn’t take for granted

9. ARGUMENT AGAINST COMPULSORY VOTING  Voting is a civic right and not a civic duty – Canada is a FREE country  Citizens have the right to choose whether they want to vote  Reduces the legitimacy of elected representatives  Compulsory voting does not force a choice. People can always lodge a blank or spoiled ballot paper.  May infringe on other rights such as religious practice

10. POSSIBLE OBSTACLES TO VOTING  Economic situation  Religion  Ignorance  Apathy  Comfort  Culture  Youth

11. MY OPINION  I don’t think compulsory voting should be implemented in Canada  I would rather quality votes over quantity votes  I don’t think being forced to vote would bring better government  I think that people SHOULD vote but I don’t think they should be forced to  It violates too many of our freedoms and isn’t overly beneficial in the end

12. QUESTIONS  Do you think the Canadian government should implement compulsory voting? Why or why not?  If so, what should the penalty be?  If not, what should the government do to get more people to vote?

13. SOURCES  “More votes doesn’t mean increased awareness,” posted on the Globe and Mail Web site at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/mandatory-voting-cons-more- voters-doesnt-mean-increased-awareness/article577809/. Retrieved on Oct. 24, 2013 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/mandatory-voting-cons-more- voters-doesnt-mean-increased-awareness/article577809/  “A History of the Vote in Canada,” posted on the Elections Canada Web site at: http://elections.ca/content.aspx?section=ele&dir=turn&document=index&lang=e. Retrieved on Oct. 23, 2013 http://elections.ca/content.aspx?section=ele&dir=turn&document=index&lang=e.  “Compulsory Voting,” posted on the Wikipedia Web site at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_voting. Retrieved on Oct. 23, 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_voting  “Voter Turnout Data Australia,” posted on The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance Web Site at: http://www.idea.int/vt/countryview.cfm?CountryCode=AU. Retrieved on Oct. 29, 2013.http://www.idea.int/vt/countryview.cfm?CountryCode=AU  “Voting: Canada against its’ peers,” posted on the Conference Board of Canada Web site at: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/details/society/voter-turnout.aspx. Retrieved Oct. 24, 2013. http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/details/society/voter-turnout.aspx

14. SOURCES CONT.  “Pros and Cons of Mandatory Voting,” posted on the Legal Library of Australia Web site at: http://www.legalanswers.sl.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved on Oct. 24, 2013.http://www.legalanswers.sl.nsw.gov.au  “Bio of Prof. Jason Brennan,” posted on the Georgetown University Web site at: http://explore.georgetown.edu/people/jb896/?PageTemplateID=319. Retrieved on Oct. 29, 2013. http://explore.georgetown.edu/people/jb896/?PageTemplateID=319