Contention One Compulsory voting does not increase voter
knowledge.
The affirmative argues that making voting mandatory will essentially force the members of a democratic nation to become politically active and learn about voting issues. In reality, making voting compulsory just increases the number of apathetic voters. According to a report from the Canada Research Chair in Electoral Studies at the University of Montreal, a 2007 study on the effects of compulsory voting laws showed that voters who vote to avoid sanction do not have increased knowledge levels as a result of mandatory voting. A study from the polish Election Survey similarly determined that voters who reported voting to avoid sanctions were the least interested and knowledgeable. A final third study examined British and Australian voters to conclude that Australian voters, who are legally compelled to vote, are no more knowledgeable about politics than British respondents. John Stuart Mill’s liberty principle holds that the only just uses of power in government are those that directly prevent harm to another person. Forcing apathetic members of a society does not improve the society—it only brings ignorant citizens into the voting pool, thereby violating the liberty principle, and failing according to my core value.
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