A Liberal Defence of Compulsory Voting

Abstract

At first sight, it might seem difficult to defend compulsory voting from a liberal point of view. Indeed, compulsory voting is widely considered as a breach of individual rights – even if such a minor restriction may be justified for the sake of common good. In this article, I challenge such an interpretation and I present a case for a non-utilitarian conception of compulsory voting. I first emphasise the importance of political participation in the liberal paradigm. I then insist on the notions of autonomy and equal liberty which legitimate compulsory voting in the name of the very principles of political liberalism.