User talk:Nampila 200746821/ Should it be a legal requirement for citizens to vote in elections?

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Should it be a legal requirement for citizens to vote in elections?

Should it be a legal requirement for citizens to vote in elections in Namibia? Since the beginning of the world people would bulk up and live together as a group, in a village, region or country. For such people to be able to live together effectively there’s a need for a leader or a sort of leader figure, usually back then such leaders were mainly appointed by popularity of the family, their wealth and influence over people. Nowadays however countries invest a lot of millions to allow their citizens the right to vote for their desired leaders or so to say presidents. Current voting is not a mandatory issue it’s a person’s choice whether or not they feel obliged to vote or not, however some political figures and citizens feel it should mandatory for every citizen to vote, unless they are junior citizens and hence are not eligible to vote. Supporter of mandatory election being legal feel that all citizens should be required to vote because this would give a more accurate result on the feelings of all citizens in an election of a certain country or state. They share the view that it is a privilege to vote and that citizens should be legally required to vote, and that every citizen should be proud of their nationality n go out n give out their strongest point of view regarding their leaders, they say it is citizens who gripe the loudest that usually don’t take time to cast their votes. They feel that if every citizen voted, a more accurate would be obtained from the elections and the influence of some strong groups will be diluted and the populace would be better represented. Every citizen should vote in the election for the better candidate to win. Normally, in elections only about 65% to 70% of the votes are recorded. Although most of the missing percentage of people that didn’t vote is mainly due to them not willing to or not being sure, a fair chunk of that percentage of people may be due to the electoral commission not putting their names on the voting list, hence that should be corrected by theelectoral commission From that, the candidate is selected. People that view mandatory voting as a good thing are stressing that in countries like the US, were people don’t have to vote if they don’t feel like it, there are biases against participation by the undereducated, the poor, minorities, and the immigrants, hence election does not reflect the opinions of these individuals. Those against mandatory voting feel that such voting proscribed by a governmental agency is a concept that ‘’slaps the face’’ of a free person. Most country were founded upon the basis of freedom, freedom of religion and freedom of choice so by making voting a mandatory issue you are depriving people of their freedom. Yes, participation in the election process is important, but forcing people to vote goes against the grain of a democratic system. For this reason they feel mandatory participation by casting a vote has shadowy implications of a repressed and dominated society and should not be initiated by any government at all.

They are stressing that if someone wants a say in a political affair and is denied a vote in such an affair, their rights to expression and participation are denied. If someone does not care and does not want to vote and is forced to, their right to refuse to participate is denied. Someone who do not care to, or is not interested and is being forced to vote may deliberately put down fake candidate names or otherwise throw a monkey wrench into the scheme, adding delays and costs to the vote counting process without helping society at large. Forcing someone to vote is like forcing them to attend a religious meeting. It may have an honourable intent of helping them and the society but, in truth, it violates their rights while potentially hurting the participation of others and of their feelings. There are those who don’t vote because it violates their conscience, such as Christians of certain faiths who adhere to the bible’s counsel to stay clear of matters of the world. In countries with poor facilities and small scattered communities, people are not able to vote because of severe weathers or distance to voting area, bear in mind that election occurs just over a small number of days. Some people just don’t care to vote and they feel like standing in a long queue to do something that does not interest them is a waste of their time and energy.

Having said that it’s hard to take a side since both sides has grounds, but I sincerely believe it is wrong to take away a citizen’s freedom of choice. There are a number of countries in the world were mandatory citizen participation in elections is a law, and although they might argue that they get more informed and detailed results, they are wronging their citizens, every one of us was born to be free, to be able to choose what to do and what not to do according to their own personal preferences. Had it not been so God wouldn’t have given us the right to not adhere his ten commandments, he would’ve programmed us to live according to them. So I believe mandatory election is wrong.

   ==References==

• http://www.enotes.com/law/discuss/should-united-states-make-voting-mandatory-79025 • http://debates.juggle.com/should-it-be-a-legal-requirement-for-citizens-to-vote-in-elections • http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100610164202AAU0c06 • http://www.buowl.boun.edu.tr/students/types%20of%20essays/ARGUMENTATIVE%20ESSAY.pdf