The right to vote is a foundational feature of democracy. In practice, however, many nations suffer from low voter turnout rates year after year. Nations such as Australia have turned to compulsory voting. While many believe that compulsory voting could be an effective way to increase voter turnout rates in the United States, consideration of circumstances in Australia and Sweden—including historical, structural, and national attitudes—suggest this may not be the case. Compulsory voting is unlikely to solve low voter turnout rates in nations such as the United States because of our government system, voting laws, attitudes towards voting and increasing polarization.
