Compulsory voting, also called universal civic duty voting or mandatory voting, is the requirement that registered voters participate in an election. As of January 2026, 21 countries have compulsory voting laws. Law enforcement in those countries varies considerably, and the penalty for not casting a ballot without a proper justification ranges from severe to non-existent.

History

Antiquity

Athenian democracy held that it was every Athenian citizen's

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