Revive DDO Tournament R1: Compulsory Voting

Topic: In a democracy, voting ought to be compulsory. I accept my opponents definitions. I will prove that compulsory voting is not desirable by pointing out the harms of compulsory voting and proving that they outweigh the benefits, therefore rendering it undesirable. I would also contend that, in a democracy, voting is the preferred method of election. Voluntary voting satisfies the election method criteria for a democracy and therefore is inherently desirable for a democracy. Pro must therefore prove that making said voting compulsory would be more desirable than voluntary voting. Pro must therefore prove that compulsory voting can maintain the benefits of voluntary voting, while creating new benefits that outweigh any harms. If Con can prove sufficiently that compulsory voting "harms" more than it "helps" then the argument is won by the Con, as voluntary voting is inherently desirable in a democracy. Voluntary voting is considered the status quo, as only 10 countries in the world enforce compulsory voting (2). I will construct my argument on the following contentions 1. Just as one is granted the freedom to enjoy their rights, they are also granted the freedom not to employ said rights. 2. Involuntary voting could lead to uninformed opinions having votes cast. 3. Voluntary voting focuses on the quality of votes, not quantity. 1. Just as one is granted the freedom to enjoy their rights, they are also granted the freedom not to employ said rights. In a democracy such as the United States, every human is granted certain rights (freedom of speech, religion, etc.). One cannot be forced to speak, however. In all cases of basic human rights, every citizen is given the option to willingly forgo said rights. Citizens can willingly pass up their right to an attorney. Citizens are not forced to pursue happiness. Freedom and humans rights is about providing every person with equal opportunity and not forcing them into action. This is a "right to inaction." Just as one is granted the right to vote, one may at any time choose not to vote. Compulsory voting violates a persons right to inaction, and therefore is not desirable. (3) "Furthermore, compulsory voting may infringe other rights. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses and most Christadelphians believe that they should not participate in political events. Forcing them to vote ostensibly denies them their freedom of religious practice." (2) 2. Involuntary voting could lead to uninformed opinions having votes cast. Not all citizens remain informed on current events. "Forcing everyone to vote means that the voice of those with no interest in politics will influence the decision about who rules the country. This generates what author Jason Brennan calls "pollution of the polls" in his book The ethics of voting, and is one of the main causes of the actual crisis of democracy worldwide: incompetent politicians winning elections through media control (the recent case of Italy under Silvio Berlusconi epitomizes this phenomenon)."(1) Increasing voter turnout through compulsory voting increases the quantity of the vote, but not the quality. This is not a problem for voluntary voting. 3. Voluntary voting focuses on the quality of votes, not quantity. In voluntary voting systems, those who do vote are only those who have been moved to vote by some force. This means that every vote cast has premeditated thought behind it. This is more desirable than compulsory voting, as it ensures that most votes have the quality of being cast by citizens who have some real incentive driving them to vote (Not voting because they are forced, but because they care). Voluntary voting means that political parties would have to inspire voters to support them. Quality votes are superior to quantity votes. Summary I have pointed out three major reasons why compulsory voting is not more desirable than voluntary voting: it restricts freedom, it "pollutes the polls", and voluntary voting creates higher quality votes. I have pointed out that Compulsory Voting is not more desirable than voluntary voting, and therefore ought not to be. Vote Con Sources 1. http://www.ethics.org.au... 2. http://en.wikipedia.org... 3. The Case for Compulsory Voting in the United States, 121 Harv. L. Rev. 591, 601"603 (2007)