Mandatory voting varies globally; while some enforce it, others have abolished sanctions despite legal requirements.
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Countries with formally mandatory voting participation are marked red (universal) or blue (male only), while yellow countries have abolished this requirement. Mandatory voting is still practiced by many nations, including some totalitarian states and most of South America and Australia. In Europe, it is largely considered historical; several countries like Spain, Portugal, Austria, the Netherlands, and Cyprus have discontinued it. Currently, Greece, Belgium, Italy, Malta, and Bulgaria maintain the requirement, though media analysis suggests these rules are not enforced. While some countries have strict laws, such as in Greece where non-participation can be penalized with imprisonment, practical enforcement is often weak; for example, Belgian sanctions are theoretically possible but rarely applied as records are destroyed after six months. International monitoring indicates that mandatory voting increases participation by 14 to 18 percent on average, and Belgium has high turnout rates. However, political scientists note that mandatory participation does not guarantee informed decision-making. Bulgaria is the only European exception that recently introduced mandatory voting but subsequently invalidated all associated sanctions, making its requirement purely formal. Experts conclude that mandatory voting works best where there is tradition or a strong state capable of enforcing credible penalties.
