OPINION: Should voting be mandatory to combat low voter turnout?

With the upcoming presidential election, Tipperary Live looks at whether Ireland should implement new laws to make voting in elections compulsory, helping to combat our low vote turnout rates.

In the last general election, the voter turnout rate in North Tipperary was 65.7% while in South Tipperary it was recorded as 60.6%.The average voter turnout rate in Ireland during the 2024 general election was just 59.7%. In local elections the rate was even lower at just 49.4% of people turned out to vote in Ireland.

Can anything be done to encourage more people to vote in important elections like these in the future?

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Australia is a country that has adopted a mandatory voting approach and as a result sees around 90% of voters turn out to have their say on election day.

The fine for not going out to vote is only a $20 administrative penalty, but it still seems to work in the government's favour in enticing people to vote.

Like paying taxes, some people argue that we have a civic responsibility to vote in elections. On the other hand, if mandatory voting was enforced then it would take away citizens' freedom to choose whether or not to vote in an election.

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If parties know that everyone must vote it would also lead to better inclusivity in politics, as politicians will be likely to reach out to people who have never voted before.

While it does seem like one solution to Ireland’s low voter turnout rates is to introduce mandatory voting, it ultimately could not be accepted by some and experts have argued that there are better solutions to this problem like: education, better public awareness and campaigns, more civic focused engagement in schools.

Easier and wider access to postal votes could also give the many people living outside of Ireland greater access to vote in elections.