OPINION: 'No point in voting?' It should be mandatory in Ireland as it is in many countries

On Wednesday, I made my way from Limerick to Dublin to vote in Belgium’s federal elections.

I told my coworkers I was taking a day off to vote and they looked at me quizzically. A friend even suggested I could simply not go.

Not go? I had missed the deadline to cast my vote by post, so I had to do it in person. Prior to that conversation, I didn’t even realise not going was a possibility for some.

Where I’m from, voting is mandatory.

Even though European countries share common principles, the member states have diverse voting procedures.

Voting is mandatory in five member states - Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Greece - and Belgium.

In Belgium, if you’re not available on election day, you have two options. You either vote by proxy and mandate someone else to cast your vote, or you give justification for your absence to a judge.

There are sanctions for those who don’t vote, however they don’t systematically apply. If someone’s motive for not voting is deemed not justified, they can be summoned in front of a judge, who will decide if they had a valid reason not to. First offence? Between €40 and €80. Second offence? The fine can go up to €200.

My younger self would have been annoyed at the Belgian voting system. But now, I do believe there is a case to be made for mandatory voting.

In most democratic countries, voting is not mandatory and is considered a right of citizenship. However, these countries have high abstention rates. Ireland is no stranger to low voters' turnout.

According to Election Guide, the international foundation for electoral systems, Ireland has an average turnout of 54.30% - with 22 elections registered in their database.

In comparison, Belgium has an average turnout of 90.16% - for 11 elections registered in the database.

In March, Ireland overwhelmingly rejected the proposed changes to its constitution, regarding the definition of family and women. But the turnout for that referendum was 44.4%, which is about 20% less in previous referendums.

As someone who has to vote, I believe mandatory voting would be more representative of the changes people want to see in society.

After all, can you really say the population “overwhelmingly” voted against a change in the constitution, if not even half the citizens turned up to cast their ballot?

If governments were elected by a higher proportion of the population, then it could be argued that the outcome would be more representative of said population.

While it can be a chore to take time off your day to cast a vote, ultimately, I can’t help but remember how much we fought through the decades to have a voice.

For example, Belgium was one of the last European countries to allow women to vote, in 1949.

My question is the following - Can you really give out about the stance of a Government if you don’t bother to show up to voice your opinion at the ballot box? I’ve heard so many people point out that there is no point in voting, because “it won’t change a thing”.

Can you expect change if you haven’t done your part? Can you complain about the outcome of an election if you haven’t cast your ballot?

On Wednesday, I queued to vote at the Belgian Embassy in Dublin. When I left, I thought, “Whatever the outcome, I’ve done my part”.