Despite all of the U.S. media’s fanfare about Tuesday’s midterm elections, most eligible voters likely will duck their civic duties on Election Day. Historically, nearly one-third fewer U.S. voters show up to the polls during a midterm election than a presidential election.
However, 22 nations around the world make voting mandatory for its citizens, often starting at age 18, according to the CIA World Factbook. Several of these countries are in Latin America with a handful allowing citizens to age out of compulsory voting by as early as age 65. In Australia, failure to vote can result in a $20 fine, The New York Times reported.
Altogether, an estimated 744 million people live in nations with compulsory voting laws.
| Country | Age of Eligibility for Mandatory Voting |
Population |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 18 | 43,024,374 |
| Australia | 18 | 22,507,617 |
| Belgium | 18 | 10,449,361 |
| Bolivia | 18 | 10,631,486 |
| Brazil | 18 | 202,656,788 |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
18 | 77,433,744 |
| Costa Rica | 18 | 4,755,234 |
| Dominican Republic | 18 | 10,349,741 |
| Ecuador | 18 | 15,654,411 |
| Egypt | 18 | 86,895,099 |
| Greece | 18 | 10,775,557 |
| Honduras | 18 | 8,598,561 |
| Lebanon | 21 | 5,882,562 |
| Luxembourg | 18 | 520,672 |
| Mexico | 18 | 120,286,655 |
| Nauru | 20 | 9,488 |
| Panama | 18 | 3,608,431 |
| Paraguay | 18 | 6,703,860 |
| Peru | 18 | 30,147,935 |
| Singapore | 21 | 5,567,301 |
| Thailand | 18 | 67,741,401 |
| Uruguay | 18 | 3,332,972 |
Source: CIA World Factbook
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