ABSTRACT
Is voting a right or a duty? Does a moral obligation to vote make a good reason for turning it into a legal obligation? Is compulsory voting a principle supported by a particular political ideology or simply a matter of electoral strategy? These questions have been debated time and again in many countries and at different times. Yet, despite the numerous contingencies and interpretations, there is one recurring argument in most of the debates. Compulsory voting is defensible primarily because it increases representativeness and creates an accurate image of the real powers in society. Thus, it shields democratic systems from overly powerful minorities, which tend to mobilize the electorate with demagogic rhetoric and extreme ideas. As such, full turnout restores the meaning of majority rule, prevents the radicalization of politics and encourages moderation.
