Compulsory voting was introduced at a federal level in Australia in 1914 under the Commonwealth Electoral Act and has remained a key aspect of the Australian electoral system ever since. The concept of a compulsory voting system is relatively unique, with only 19 countries (7 of which are OECD members) requiring citizens to vote. While compulsory voting remains a largely intact aspect of Australia's electoral system, it has faced criticism. In this essay I will address the key arguments against compulsory voting in Australia and counter them with arguments in support of maintaining the application of compulsory voting. A common argument used against the compulsory voting system in Australia is that it is inconsistent with liberal society. If Australians have the right to vote, as recognized in section 41 of the Constitution, shouldn't they also have the right not to vote? Political scientist Anthony Gray uses this argument in his 2012 article for the Australian Journal of Politics and History. Drawing from the philosophy of classical liberalism, Gray identifies that “one person's rights can only be violated when they affect those of another person.” Therefore, if one refuses to vote, it does not affect the rights of another person. This, compared to denying the "duty" of serving on a jury, may effectively deny the right to a fair trial. While Gray's argument is certainly reasonable based on the definition, many political scientists argue that Australians actually have the right not to abstain from voting. This argument arises from the adoption of the 'secret ballot', which according to the eminent political scientist Arend Lijphart exists to ensure that "the right not to vote remains intact". The secret ballot guarantees that every Aust...... middle of paper...... Do About It, Politics Series No. 54, Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna, 1998 p. 2D Jaesnch, 'Stand up for a tick but only vote if you care', The Advertiser, vol. 18, 2003C Alexander, The party's over: which clubs have the most members?, Crikey Media, Melbourne, 2013N Miragliotta, W Errington & N Barry, The Australian Political System, 2nd edition, Oxford, South Melbourne, 2013 p. 16Australian Bureau of Statistics, Measures of Australian Progress, 2010, cat. NO. 1370.0, ABS, Canberra, 2010, viewed 21 March 2014,L Hill, 'Public Acceptance of Obligatory Voting: Explaining the Australian case', Representation Journal, vol. 46, no. 4, 2010 p. 425 – 438