LD Negative Opening Quote:

"I voted for Barack because he was black. Cause thats why other folks vote for other people because they look like them,"

-Samuel L Jackson Mr. Jacksons statement, while joking, illuminates a very disconcerting issue that the majority of citizens vote for a candidate as a result of a shared the religion or racial/ethnic background, rather than whether or not they would be a more effective leader. Because I believe that compulsory voting is unjustified, I negate the resolution which states Resolved: in a democracy, voting ought to be compulsory. Definitions: Democracy: A government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised
by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections

Ought- Expresses an obligation or natural expectation Compulsory Voting- A legal obligation to vote Defined by Merriam-Webster As the very essence of a democracy, where the power of government is ultimately vested in voting citizens, wherein already exists a moral obligation to vote, it must be deduced that ought to be compulsory is a legal reference, where an individual is forced to vote or be liable to pay a fine or potentially face more severe punishment. Value: My value for the round is justice and the criterion being knowledge since it is imperative for an elective body to be educated in political affairs and subsequently select the right candidates who will uphold their values and to not reelect those who dont. Compulsory voting would not bring about an interest in government, rather would result in more blank ballots or simply more uninformed decisions. Moreover, people often vote for whoevers billboard is larger or whichever candidates slogan is catchier, rather than in-depth research on all of their options.

Contention I: Duty to abstain a.) A citizen who is forced to vote will many times be voting on issues that are irrelevant or inconsequential to their personal lives. This will drive people to vote in favor or against resolutions that will end up harming others. For example, if a woman, who is disgusted by gays, votes on a law to ban marriage of homosexuals, she will not benefit, as disallowing gays to marry will not change the current state of their existence; in reality, it will only cause them to be more vocal and active in retaliation. However, she does harm citizens whose lives would benefit from such a proposal. In another analogy, no one is obligated to become a parent. Many people choose not to because of the immense burden you bear in making this decision. However should you become a parent, you are obligated to be a responsible one. b.) Uninformed voters will inevitably make bad decisions, where the stakes couldnt be higher. A bad vote could lead to unnecessary or unjust wars, racist and sexist legislature, and overall bad government, this is why if someone feels uncomfortable with their understanding of an issue, they should not be required to have their decision recorded.

Contention II: Quality versus Quantity a. A voting body should be comprised of individuals who are well-read and informed on the true gravity their vote possesses, as their support represents their future lives, yet this seems often overlooked by citizens. An average citizen would fail a basic economics, yet they are expected to elect the best representatives. Politics can be compared to a sport such as football. When first observed, it can be very difficult to make sense of many technical aspects; this makes it fairly easy to drop the game simply for lack of understanding. However, upon further research, the sport becomes entertaining, just as being involved in government becomes engaging. The main issue with democracies without compulsory voting is the lack of constituents; however one cannot simply generalize this without examining the reasons why people choose not to vote. The reasons are primarily those of apathy and nescience. So referring to the previous analogy with football, it can be said that these citizens are trapped at stage one. b. The more rational idea that should then be considered, rather than implementing forced voting, should be that of generating public interest in government, and fulfilling the moral duty of society, being voting. People owe it to themselves and to the society to become educated and engaged in order to formulate good decisions.