Concerned about low voter turnout, the federal Liberals are surveying their members about making voting mandatory. It鈥檚 a concept worth discussing, but it is more important to understand why so few people vote and to find ways to inject more enthusiasm into the democratic process. This is especially important as sa国际传媒 faces municipal elections in November.
The voting rate has been declining in sa国际传媒 since it reached a high of nearly 80 per cent in 1958. It plunged to a record low of 58.8 per cent in 2008, according to Elections sa国际传媒, and rebounded slightly in 2011 to 61.1 per cent.
sa国际传媒 generally follows the national average in federal elections, but the closer to home the election is, the lower the rate. Only 58 per cent of eligible sa国际传媒 voters cast ballots in the 2013 provincial election, but that was a significant increase from the all-time low voter turnout of 51 per cent in the 2009 election.
It鈥檚 in municipal elections where sa国际传媒 has the most dismal record 鈥� our province has the lowest voter turnout in the country for civic elections and the rate appears to be going down 鈥� 32 per cent in 2005, 31 per cent in 2008 and 29.55 per cent in 2011. The capital region barely surpassed that average in 2011 with 30 per cent, with Metchosin the highest at 49 per cent and Langford the lowest at 14 per cent.
It is not unusual for federal and provincial governments in sa国际传媒 to be formed by parties with support of less than 40 per cent of the electorate, and then hold majority power for full terms of office. When voter turnout is 60 per cent, a party can form a majority government by convincing as few as 25 per cent of the people to vote for it.
When voter turnout is low, an election is more easily hijacked by special interests. A concerted last-minute effort by one candidate to bring voters out can alter the outcome in a way that doesn鈥檛 reflect the wishes of the majority. A special-interest group could conceivably rally a few people and effect major changes for the next four years, especially at the local level. Think amalgamation and sewage treatment.
So it鈥檚 tempting to make voting compulsory. The winners can legitimately claim they represent the majority. It lessens the chances that minority interests are imposed on the majority or that the socially disadvantaged will be overlooked. It broadens participation in the democratic process.
But in a way, it goes against democracy. Having the freedom to vote implies having the freedom not to vote.
A better path is to raise interest in the process. Those who are enticed to participate are going be more enthusiastic and better informed than those who are forced to vote.
People want to know their votes count. A shift to proportional representation would help.
Some believe that wealthy interests buy elections, and there鈥檚 no doubt big money carries a lot of influence. We could consider tough spending limits so parties and politicians can鈥檛 spend millions identifying and targeting their base (and stand to gain if overall participation declines).
Today鈥檚 young voters are less likely to participate than their parents or grandparents. Let鈥檚 take a hard look at our education system鈥檚 efforts to teach students about politics, democracy and citizens鈥� rights.
Political parties need to take a hard look at their ethics and tactics to see if they are doing things that turn voters off.
Compulsory voting would indeed increase voter turnout, but it would be far better to find out why people aren鈥檛 voting and address those problems.
