Democratic leader Berisha has stated that “Compulsory voting of citizens is a mechanism to protect the right to vote from vote-buying and manipulation”.
Compulsory voting of citizens can be a mechanism to protect the right to vote from vote-buying and manipulation. It is not a solution that eliminates electoral corruption, but it deserves serious discussion in Albania. When participation expands, political decision-making relies on broader representation of society, and parties must seek trust beyond party activists and their organized networks.
The reasoning is simple: when many citizens stay at home, votes controlled by interests, economic dependence or political pressure can gain greater weight in the result. If participation increases, the relative weight of these votes can decrease. Parties must also convince the disillusioned citizen, the independent voter, the young and those who think politics does not represent them.
But we must be precise: compulsory participation does not automatically make the vote free. The vote-buyer may continue to buy political preference, even when the citizen is obliged to turn out to vote. Therefore this reform would have value only if accompanied by protection of vote secrecy, investigation of illegal financing and punishment of pressure on voters.
International experience shows that this idea is not unknown to democracies. Australia implements compulsory voting and provides for an administrative penalty of 20 Australian dollars for non-participation without a valid reason. However, there is also the principled objection that the citizen should have the freedom not to participate. This objection must be heard and treated seriously.
Before asking the citizen to vote, the state must create a real opportunity to do so. This requires accurate lists, accessible polling stations, accessibility for persons with disabilities, solutions for the sick and reliable procedures for Albanians abroad. A citizen cannot be punished for obstacles created by the administration itself.
Sanctions, if imposed, must also be light, proportionate and accompanied by the right of appeal. Illness, family emergencies, objective impossibility and administrative obstacles must be grounds for exemption. A fine that weighs on the poor while being negligible for the rich would create a new inequality. Punishments affecting employment, pensions, economic assistance or public services are excluded.
Equally essential is that participation records be administered independently and with protection of personal data. Participation lists must not become an instrument of control for employers, the administration or party structures. Only fulfillment of the obligation should be verified, while it must remain impossible to link the citizen to the content of the vote.
Such a change requires public debate, assessment of constitutional compatibility and broad political agreement. It must be prepared in time and with clear rules, so that citizens understand it and the administration is able to apply it equally to all.
Compulsory voting can make the work of manipulation more difficult only if the state guarantees a free vote. The citizen’s responsibility to participate must go hand in hand with the state’s responsibility to protect them from vote-buying, threats and political control. Democracy is strengthened when the citizen goes to vote and knows that, inside the booth, only they decide.