Should DR Congo implement a mandatory voting system - By Fabrice Banyingela

Why voting should be made compulsory?

        Imagine living in a new Congolese society in which the election system is designed to make it possible for every eligible citizen to carry out their most fundamental civic duties. Imagine that at least 80% of our citizens from all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds cast ballots —  by allowing everyone a political voice, citizens will start putting more effort into voting, they will understand the power of their voice, and governments will be more productive. This can be possible by implementing compulsory voting. If other countries can do it and be successful, why can't we?

        Today, I will take an opportunity to convince you why voting should be made compulsory. I will first discuss with you why you should avail yourself to vote, second, share with you the benefits of voting, and last, give you reasons why it is a bad idea not to vote.

        Throughout the 2023 Congolese elections, it is clear that voting is an expensive act because it takes time to register and learn about the candidates' points of view. On election day, you may have some health issues, leave work early, wait in long queues, or endure the harshness of the weather while knowing that your individual vote has virtually no chance of making a difference among the thousands or millions of votes cast. One thing we should understand is that refusing to vote impacts the voter turnout and remember that a single vote can be decisive and can affect the election outcome.

        Then, what stops the Congolese citizens from voting then? There are several reasons why people are not interested in elections. Many people do not have the means to register, such as transportation or a valid form of identification, or do not want to go through the trouble of the registration process or social life. Now, I am not saying that registration is bad and we should remove it from the election system. It does have benefits, such as limiting voter fraud. However, it is one reason we see a lower voter turnout in most countries. Speaking of voter turnout, Professor Park (currently the director of the Global Branding Center) said in 2005 that “Turnout can be significantly influenced by socioeconomic status. It is more likely that people with higher socioeconomic status will have the time and resources necessary to participate in politics and the policymaking process. Although the degree of correlation with dependent variables varies depending on the context of various nations, the hypothesis that participation in politics is correlated with socioeconomic status has been supported multiple times”. Low voter turnout undermines our democratic ideals and if not tackled, our democracy will cease to exist. It is also one of the proposed causes of democratic backsliding.

        Other than that, education is the most significant socioeconomic factor that influences voter turnout. A person is more likely to vote if they have a higher level of education. Educated or not, everyone’s voice is needed to enforce decisions on the legislative level. Harvey J. Tucker, a political scientist from Texas A&M University, said “Voter turnout matters because elections are where decisions are made in modern democracies, and if there continues to be a lack of voter turnout, the votes will only represent a small sample of the overall population. As we understand the impact of low voter turnout and become more interested in finding solutions to these issues we then seek ways to increase our voter turnout.

        One way to increase our voter turnout is to increase citizens’ interest in politics. People are more likely to express their support or disapproval of legislation when they feel a stronger connection to their elected officials. Citizens bear a significant portion of this responsibility for participating in the political process; each nation's citizens need to vote in a modern society that places a high value on equality and civil rights. For that to happen, compulsory voting is the solution. With compulsory voting, every citizen not only has a right to vote but a responsibility to vote. The system puts people at the center of democracy. The idea is that voting in the same way should be both a right and a responsibility of a citizen.

        In Australia, they actually adopted universal voting in 1924, so they have been using it successfully for almost 100 years. The way it works is that every citizen is required to vote. If they don’t vote, they get a letter in the mail asking for the reason that they didn’t vote. Almost every reason is accepted. But if you absolutely have no reason to vote, then you get a fine of about $15, the equivalent of a parking ticket. Finning citizens might create havoc in some areas. For example, in poor communities, even a small fine can be a real burden for families. So what I propose will be a very light touch, low-fine enforcement system that hopefully is as manageable as possible. I am convinced that mandatory voting will be constitutional as long as there is no compelled speech to vote for a single candidate and if it is possible to submit blank ballots which will hold up in courts.

        In terms of the objections to mandatory voting, several voices are expressing their disagreement with the idea. The leading argument is that mandatory voting is not consistent with the freedom associated with democracy because it infringes on the right of the individual not to vote. Others argue that with mandatory voting, political life in general suffers by becoming lazy and less responsive. Responding to such allegations, Miles Rapoport, a senior practice fellow in American Democracy at Harvard Kennedy School, said: “The truth is, there are many arenas of our lives where there are things that we are required to do from paying taxes to getting our kids educated, to wearing masks or getting vaccines in some cases.” Hence, I believe that although such a voting system will refrain a portion of our freedom it will make sure that we accomplish a crucial responsibility – which is voting. So, if you don't cast a ballot, another person will settle on the choice for you. Then, you will be bound by the choices made by other people, and you can't even complain about it because you allowed it to happen!

        Think again if you believe that you will vote next time because you have better uses for your time right now! Five years is a long time to be dependent on something that doesn't work or you don't want. Imagine for a moment what it would be like to have the same phone for five years, particularly one with few features. Consider how many phone upgrades you will need to purchase before you can upgrade your government!

        There are two major benefits that we would see almost immediately if mandatory voting were adopted such as a change of behavior by making an effort to educate themselves on the election issues and change the campaign process to give all parties and candidates a chance to be elected based on their “programme” rather than their wealth. I believe that through compulsory voting, we become more responsible for the future of our nations and protect our democracy.

        We should adopt mandatory voting because first, like paying taxes, voting is an essential part of being a citizen. Second, it increases the voter turnout and the legitimacy of our elected representative. Third, in a scenario, you are not satisfied with the candidates, you still can cast a blank ballot paper. And last, without wealthy support, new parties and candidates, can run for office without spending a lot of money just to get voters to the polls. The imbalance of wealth will be erased as currently seen between the team of outgoing President Felix Tshisekedi and the business mogul Moise Katumbi.

        I hope that the government will support the electorate commission to adopt reforms that really encourage people to vote and lower the barriers for them to do so. And that will make possible the idea of making voting truly universal. And that would be a really great step forward to a strong democratic state. I challenge you to make it a habit of voting and watch the changes in your representative’s actions. 

References

Harvard Ash Center. (2016). Should voting be a right or a requirement? Found at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0cMoKbMc9o 

Accessed: 12 March 2023.

Jared C. (2016). Opinion: Low Voter Turnout Has Consequences. Found at

https://tmn.truman.edu/blog/editorial/opinion-low-voter-turnout-has-consequences/

Accessed: 12 March 2023.

Miles R. (2018). Lift every voice.

Found at https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Br_LIFT_Every_Voice_final.pdf. Accessed: 12 March 2023.

Park, C. W. (2005). Patterns and Determinants of Political Participation among Korean Citizens:

An Analysis of the 2004 General Social Survey Data. The Korean Journal of Political Research, 14(1), 147–193.