Compulsory voting was introduced at the federal level in Australia in 1914 under the Commonwealth Electoral Act and has remained a fundamental aspect of the Australian electoral system ever since. The concept of a compulsory voting system is relatively unique, with only 19 countries (7 of which are OECD members) requiring citizens to vote. Although compulsory voting remains a largely intact aspect of Australia's electoral system, it has been subject to criticism. In this essay, I will address the main arguments against compulsory voting in Australia, and counter them with arguments in favor of maintaining compulsory voting. A commonly used argument against the compulsory voting system in Australia is that it is incompatible with liberal society. If Australians have the right to vote, as recognized in section 41 of the Constitution, should they not also have the right not to vote? Political scientist Anthony Gray uses this argument in his 2012 article for the Australian Journal of Politics and History. Drawing on classical liberal philosophy, Gray identifies that "one person's rights can only be violated when they impact those of others." So if one person refuses to vote, it has no impact on the rights of any other person. This, compared to denying the “duty” of serving on a jury, can actually deprive a person of the right to a fair trial. While Gray's argument is certainly definitionally reasonable, many political scientists argue that Australians do in fact have the right not to abstain when voting. This argument stems from the adoption of the “secret ballot,” which, according to prominent political scientist Arend Lijphart, exists to ensure that “the right not to vote remains intact.” The secret ballot ensures that every Aust...... middle of paper ...... Do About It, Political Series No. 54, Institute for Advanced Study, Vienna, 1998 p. 2D Jaesnch, “Show up but only vote if you’re interested,” The Advertiser, vol. 18, 2003C Alexander, The party's over: which clubs have the most members?, Crikey Media, Melbourne, 2013N Miragliotta, W Errington & N Barry, The Australian Political System, 2nd ed., Oxford, South Melbourne, 2013 p. 16Australian Bureau of Statistics, Measuring Australia's Progress, 2010, cat. No. 1370.0, ABS, Canberra, 2010, accessed March 21, 2014, L Hill, “Public acceptance of compulsory voting: Explaining the Australian case”, Representation Journal, vol. 46, no. 4, 2010 pages. 425 – 438