A new study from the University of Georgia found that even unenforced, or "toothless," compulsory voting laws can increase voter turnout.
Governments around the world are searching for ways to combat low voter turnout. And this study suggests simply putting a mandatory voting law on the books - without imposing any penalties on people who don't show up to the polls - may meaningfully shift civic behavior.
Based on a rare natural experiment in the Indian state of Karnataka, the study found the 2015 adoption of a non-penalized compulsory voting law led to a 6.5 to 14 percentage point increase in voter turnout in local village elections.
"We see clear evidence that people respond to the law, even in the absence of enforcement," said Shane Singh, corresponding author of the study and the Joshua W. Jones Professor of Public and International Affairs in the UGA School of Public and International Affairs. "It supports the idea that laws have an expressive function: They shape norms and behavior even when there are no punishments involved."
Compulsory voting: A gentler way to strengthen democracy
The study arrives at a pivotal time for democracies grappling with chronically low voter turnout.
Unlike more punitive models used elsewhere, Singh's findings suggest a "lighter touch" approach could still be effective.
"You don't need to punish people to encourage voting," Singh explained. "Sometimes just making voting compulsory, even without teeth, is enough."
Just as most drivers will stop at a stop sign even when no one is around and there's no enforcement in sight, people are often inclined to follow laws simply because they exist, the researchers said.
Other countries grapple with concept of mandatory voting
This research offers timely insights for policymakers in the United States and abroad.
In the last few years, several U.S. state legislatures have debated compulsory voting bills with varying levels of enforcement, including none at all.
Internationally, some countries harshly penalize nonvoters while others have no penalties for abstention. Chile's legislature, for example, is currently debating whether to add enforcement mechanisms to its own compulsory voting law.
"Our findings should encourage governments to consider unenforced compulsory voting as a serious, middle-ground policy," Singh said. "It's a viable option for boosting turnout, one that encourages participation without relying on punishments or penalties."
The study adds powerful new evidence to the global conversation on how democracies can strengthen participation without heavy-handed enforcement.
As lawmakers in the U.S. and abroad explore ways to boost turnout, this research offers a compelling, data-driven case for rethinking what it means to make voting "mandatory."
Published in Electoral Studies, the study was co-authored by Reshikesav Rajan, a graduate of the UGA School of Public and International Affairs and current doctoral student at Texas A&M University.
