Voter Turnout: Let’s Use a Carrot and Not a Stick

• Some countries fine citizens if they do not vote
• Why don’t we ‘incentivise’ citizens to vote

Before we get to the nitty gritty of this premise let’s just clear the air of any misconceptions first: “I do NOT lean towards the CARROT over the STICK because I am vegan!”

Positive Incentives:

Governments around the world generally do not incentivise citizens to vote in elections – mainly because state sponsored payments or benefits are widely considered a form of bribery or undue influence over an election. How ongoing state sponsored aid or benefits based on colour can be seen to not be ‘undue influence’ is another debate on it’s own.

I would hypothesise that those citizens already benefitting from some form of state incentive – BEE, ATTP, Social Grants, Illegal Services etc. are already obligated to vote in order to retain the present status quo.

One could also say that as we already have such state sponsored incentives in place that it should not be that abhorrent to introduce some form of incentive to all citizens to vote subject to a certain voter turnout percentage ceiling being reached (like 95% then all get the incentive).

We have seen some businesses in South Africa offering an incentive (a free “I voted” coffee/sticker etc.) to voters but not on a super grand scale to make enough of an impression on voter turnout.

I am inclined to say that with South Africa’s history of being the Rainbow Nation and one that chooses difficult paths that are eventually shown to be the right ones maybe using a CARROT to encourage citizens to vote is the right approach.

No Vote No Pay:

Here in South Africa – we already get a major incentive in having a public holiday declared. One way that the government could help voter turnout would be to declare that ONLY citizens that can prove they voted will qualify to be PAID for that Public Holiday. Why? Not every country in the world declares an election day as a holiday. Examples of countries that do declare public holidays include South Africa, South Korea, Israel, the Philippines, and various African and Asian democracies. In South Korea, it functions as a vibrant civic holiday where turnout is heavily emphasized.

Countries like France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil hold their votes on the weekend when the vast majority of the workforce is already off.

Several prominent democracies hold elections on an ordinary weekday without declaring a national holiday. For example, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Netherlands traditionally vote on weekdays (such as Tuesdays or Thursdays) without a blanket public holiday.

Negative Incentives:

There are certainly enough countries in the world that ‘offer’ a disincentive to those that do not turn out on election day.

Here are some negative incentive examples:

Australia: One of the most famous examples, Australia has enforced compulsory voting since 1924. Non-voters who cannot provide a valid reason face a minor fine (typically around $20 to $50 AUD), which can escalate to court costs or community service if ignored.

Argentina: Voting is mandatory for citizens aged 18 to 69. Those who fail to vote and cannot justify it receive a monetary fine and are barred from holding public office or working in public bodies for a period.

Brazil: Voting is compulsory for literate citizens between 18 and 70. Those who don’t vote and fail to justify it face a small nominal fine. More inconveniently, non-voters face restrictions on getting a passport, obtaining loans from state banks, or taking public sector jobs.

Belgium: Compulsory voting has a long history here. While the threat of fines for missing multiple elections is written into law, enforcement has varied over time, though it remains a formal legal requirement.

Chile: After previously abolishing mandatory voting, Chile reinstated it. Citizens who fail to vote in elections face fines determined by local judges.

Uruguay: Voting is compulsory, and citizens who fail to vote without a valid excuse face a fine (which is doubled for public employees or literate professionals) and restrictions on accessing certain public services.

Peru: Non-voters are issued a fine. Historically, Peruvians also had to carry a stamped voting card (constancia de votación) for months afterward to prove they voted, without which they could not perform various administrative or financial transactions with public offices.

Ecuador: Voting is mandatory for citizens aged 18 to 65, and abstaining without an excuse results in a fine.

Liechtenstein & Luxembourg: Both European nations enforce compulsory voting with small administrative fines for unexcused absences.

Nauru: Voting is compulsory under electoral law, backed by a fine for non-attendance.

Turkey: Voting is technically compulsory by law, and non-voters can be subjected to a small administrative fine, though enforcement is relatively minimal.