Mandatory
Not Mandatory
Countries with Mandatory Voting 2024
Mandatory voting occurs in a country when the country requires the citizens to vote. In some countries, there are penalties for not voting, while in others it is just a compulsory requirement to live there. Some countries have it in certain regions, while other countries will have the law nationwide.
Argentina
Argentina is a country where failure to comply with mandatory voting laws results in penalties of a fine. Individuals in violation are not permitted to hold public office for one year after the offense. Some exceptions such as health or distance from polling stations may apply.
Australia
Australia has a fine of $20 for those that do not comply with mandatory voting laws.
Austria
Austria requires a valid reason for not voting and will levy a 1,000 schilling fine for violations, the equivalent of approximately $70 USD.
Belgium
Reprimands and fines are the penalties for not voting in Belgium, but citizens can send proxies to vote for them if they hold power of attorney.
Brazil
Voting is optional in Brazil for citizens that can not read, but there are fines for citizens that can and do not vote.
Cyprus
Cyprus considers it a criminal offense to ignore voting regulations. It could result in one month in jail and a fine.
Ecuador
Civil rights are removed from those in Ecuador who do not vote, although it is unclear what those rights would be.
Fiji Islands
In Fiji, the fines for not voting include a $20 fine, and a $50 fine if you don’t register to vote.
Singapore
There is a $5 penalty for citizens that do not vote.
Thailand
In Thailand, citizens that do not comply with voting regulations will lose their rights to vote in future elections. It is unclear how long that penalty will last, but voting is considered a serious offense. A clear cause provided will mitigate that rule and permit citizens to abstain from voting.
Uruguay
Uruguay is another country where suffrage played an important role in the nation’s history. The law requires every citizen of age to fulfill the requirements of voting. Fines are levied for citizens that do not.
- In Switzerland, only the canton of Schaffhausen has mandatory voting.
Country | Voting Status | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Not Mandatory | |
| Albania | Not Mandatory | |
| Algeria | Not Mandatory | |
| American Samoa | Not Mandatory | |
| Andorra | Not Mandatory | |
| Angola | Not Mandatory | |
| Anguilla | Not Mandatory | |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Not Mandatory | |
| Argentina | Mandatory | Ages 16, 17, and anyone over 70 |
| Armenia | Not Mandatory | |
| Aruba | Not Mandatory | |
| Australia | Mandatory | Travel, illness, religious objection, seasonal workers, anyone without a fixed address, not registered to vote |
| Austria | Not Mandatory | |
| Azerbaijan | Not Mandatory | |
| Bahamas | Not Mandatory | |
| Bahrain | Not Mandatory | |
| Bangladesh | Not Mandatory | |
| Barbados | Not Mandatory | |
| Belarus | Not Mandatory | |
| Belgium | Mandatory | Not registered to vote |
| Belize | Not Mandatory | |
| Benin | Not Mandatory | |
| Bermuda | Not Mandatory | |
| Bhutan | Not Mandatory | |
| Bolivia | Mandatory | Over 70 years old, absent on Election Day, force majeure |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Not Mandatory | |
| Botswana | Not Mandatory | |
| Brazil | Mandatory | Ages 16, 17, and anyone over 70, those not home during elections or can't read |
| British Virgin Islands | Not Mandatory | |
| Brunei | Not Mandatory | |
| Bulgaria | Not Mandatory | |
| Burkina Faso | Not Mandatory | |
| Burundi | Not Mandatory | |
| Cambodia | Not Mandatory | |
| Cameroon | Not Mandatory | |
| Canada | Not Mandatory | |
| Cape Verde | Not Mandatory | |
| Cayman Islands | Not Mandatory | |
| Central African Republic | Not Mandatory | |
| Chad | Not Mandatory | |
| Chile | Mandatory | |
| China | Not Mandatory | |
| Colombia | Not Mandatory | |
| Comoros | Not Mandatory | |
| Cook Islands | Not Mandatory | |
| Costa Rica | Mandatory | |
| Croatia | Not Mandatory | |
| Cuba | Not Mandatory | |
| Curacao | Not Mandatory | |
| Cyprus | Not Mandatory | |
| Czech Republic | Not Mandatory | |
| Denmark | Not Mandatory | |
| Djibouti | Not Mandatory | |
| Dominica | Not Mandatory | |
| Dominican Republic | Not Mandatory | |
| DR Congo | Mandatory | |
| Ecuador | Mandatory | Ages 16, 17, and anyone over 65 or who can't read |
| Egypt | Mandatory | |
| El Salvador | Not Mandatory | |
| Equatorial Guinea | Not Mandatory | |
| Eritrea | Not Mandatory | |
| Estonia | Not Mandatory | |
| Eswatini | Not Mandatory | |
| Ethiopia | Not Mandatory | |
| Falkland Islands | Not Mandatory | |
| Faroe Islands | Not Mandatory | |
| Fiji | Mandatory | |
| Finland | Not Mandatory | |
| France | Not Mandatory | |
| French Guiana | Not Mandatory | |
| French Polynesia | Not Mandatory | |
| Gabon | Not Mandatory | |
| Gambia | Not Mandatory | |
| Georgia | Not Mandatory | |
| Germany | Not Mandatory | |
| Ghana | Not Mandatory | |
| Gibraltar | Not Mandatory | |
| Greece | Mandatory | Over 70 years old |
| Greenland | Not Mandatory | |
| Grenada | Not Mandatory | |
| Guadeloupe | Not Mandatory | |
| Guam | Not Mandatory | |
| Guatemala | Not Mandatory | |
| Guernsey | Not Mandatory | |
| Guinea | Not Mandatory | |
| Guinea Bissau | Not Mandatory | |
| Guyana | Not Mandatory | |
| Haiti | Not Mandatory | |
| Honduras | Mandatory | |
| Hong Kong | Not Mandatory | |
| Hungary | Not Mandatory | |
| Iceland | Not Mandatory | |
| India | Not Mandatory | |
| Indonesia | Not Mandatory | |
| Iran | Not Mandatory | |
| Iraq | Not Mandatory | |
| Ireland | Not Mandatory | |
| Isle of Man | Not Mandatory | |
| Israel | Not Mandatory | |
| Italy | Not Mandatory | |
| Ivory Coast | Not Mandatory | |
| Jamaica | Not Mandatory | |
| Japan | Not Mandatory | |
| Jersey | Not Mandatory | |
| Jordan | Not Mandatory | |
| Kazakhstan | Not Mandatory | |
| Kenya | Not Mandatory | |
| Kiribati | Not Mandatory | |
| Kuwait | Not Mandatory | |
| Kyrgyzstan | Not Mandatory | |
| Laos | Not Mandatory | |
| Latvia | Not Mandatory | |
| Lebanon | Not Mandatory | |
| Lesotho | Not Mandatory | |
| Liberia | Not Mandatory | |
| Libya | Not Mandatory | |
| Liechtenstein | Mandatory | |
| Lithuania | Not Mandatory | |
| Luxembourg | Mandatory | Under 18 or over 75 years old, live abroad |
| Macau | Not Mandatory | |
| Madagascar | Not Mandatory | |
| Malawi | Not Mandatory | |
| Malaysia | Not Mandatory | |
| Maldives | Not Mandatory | |
| Mali | Not Mandatory | |
| Malta | Not Mandatory | |
| Marshall Islands | Not Mandatory | |
| Martinique | Not Mandatory | |
| Mauritania | Not Mandatory | |
| Mauritius | Not Mandatory | |
| Mayotte | Not Mandatory | |
| Mexico | Mandatory | |
| Micronesia | Not Mandatory | |
| Moldova | Not Mandatory | |
| Monaco | Not Mandatory | |
| Mongolia | Not Mandatory | |
| Montenegro | Not Mandatory | |
| Montserrat | Not Mandatory | |
| Morocco | Not Mandatory | |
| Mozambique | Not Mandatory | |
| Myanmar | Not Mandatory | |
| Namibia | Not Mandatory | |
| Nauru | Mandatory | |
| Nepal | Not Mandatory | |
| Netherlands | Not Mandatory | |
| New Caledonia | Not Mandatory | |
| New Zealand | Not Mandatory | |
| Nicaragua | Not Mandatory | |
| Niger | Not Mandatory | |
| Nigeria | Not Mandatory | |
| Niue | Not Mandatory | |
| North Korea | Mandatory | |
| North Macedonia | Not Mandatory | |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Not Mandatory | |
| Norway | Not Mandatory | |
| Oman | Not Mandatory | |
| Pakistan | Not Mandatory | |
| Palau | Not Mandatory | |
| Palestine | Not Mandatory | |
| Panama | Not Mandatory | |
| Papua New Guinea | Not Mandatory | |
| Paraguay | Mandatory | Over 75 years old |
| Peru | Mandatory | Over 70 years old |
| Philippines | Not Mandatory | |
| Poland | Not Mandatory | |
| Portugal | Not Mandatory | |
| Puerto Rico | Not Mandatory | |
| Qatar | Not Mandatory | |
| Republic of the Congo | Not Mandatory | |
| Reunion | Not Mandatory | |
| Romania | Not Mandatory | |
| Russia | Not Mandatory | |
| Rwanda | Not Mandatory | |
| Saint Barthelemy | Not Mandatory | |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Not Mandatory | |
| Saint Lucia | Not Mandatory | |
| Saint Martin | Not Mandatory | |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | Not Mandatory | |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Not Mandatory | |
| Samoa | Mandatory | |
| San Marino | Not Mandatory | |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Not Mandatory | |
| Saudi Arabia | Not Mandatory | |
| Senegal | Not Mandatory | |
| Serbia | Not Mandatory | |
| Seychelles | Not Mandatory | |
| Sierra Leone | Not Mandatory | |
| Singapore | Mandatory | Under 21 years old |
| Sint Maarten | Not Mandatory | |
| Slovakia | Not Mandatory | |
| Slovenia | Not Mandatory | |
| Solomon Islands | Not Mandatory | |
| Somalia | Not Mandatory | |
| South Africa | Not Mandatory | |
| South Korea | Not Mandatory | |
| South Sudan | Not Mandatory | |
| Spain | Not Mandatory | |
| Sri Lanka | Not Mandatory | |
| Sudan | Not Mandatory | |
| Suriname | Not Mandatory | |
| Sweden | Not Mandatory | |
| Switzerland | Mandatory | |
| Syria | Not Mandatory | |
| Taiwan | Not Mandatory | |
| Tajikistan | Not Mandatory | |
| Tanzania | Not Mandatory | |
| Thailand | Mandatory | |
| Timor Leste | Not Mandatory | |
| Togo | Not Mandatory | |
| Tokelau | Not Mandatory | |
| Tonga | Not Mandatory | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Not Mandatory | |
| Tunisia | Not Mandatory | |
| Turkey | Mandatory | |
| Turkmenistan | Not Mandatory | |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | Not Mandatory | |
| Tuvalu | Not Mandatory | |
| Uganda | Not Mandatory | |
| Ukraine | Not Mandatory | |
| United Arab Emirates | Not Mandatory | |
| United Kingdom | Not Mandatory | |
| United States | Not Mandatory | |
| United States Virgin Islands | Not Mandatory | |
| Uruguay | Mandatory | |
| Uzbekistan | Not Mandatory | |
| Vanuatu | Not Mandatory | |
| Vatican City | Not Mandatory | |
| Venezuela | Not Mandatory | |
| Vietnam | Not Mandatory | |
| Wallis and Futuna | Not Mandatory | |
| Western Sahara | Not Mandatory | |
| Yemen | Not Mandatory | |
| Zambia | Not Mandatory | |
| Zimbabwe | Not Mandatory |