Andre Camargo Lopes; Should Voting Be Mandatory in Brazil?

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For those of us who follow the Brazilian news, it is impossible to avoid the most important event of the year, the general elections. Brazilian citizens 18 years of age or older MUST vote in this year’s elections. Yes, voting is mandatory in Brazil.

Out of respect for the reader, this article will not revisit the already over-explored discussion of who the best candidate is. Let’s hope the Brazilian voters make a careful, well-informed decision. (I must confess that this is more hope than fact.) I want to invite you, the reader, to brainstorm with me about the mandatory voting system in effect in Brazil. The law says that citizens are required to vote and are subject to penalties if they fail to do so.

The concept of Democracy was developed in ancient Greece. However, Democracy, as we know it today, has evolved to the point that little is left of its Greek origins, except for the name. In Greece, the concept of universal vote did not exist. In fact, the minority of people, the “citizens”, had the right to vote, while the masses, including slaves, foreigners and people without titles, were completely ignored in political decisions. The number of people who actually voted was so low that Greeks were able to practice “direct democracy.” Each legitimate vote was tabulated to determine the outcome. In contrast, today’s system requires voters to elect representatives to vote on their behalf.

Despite some criticism, the evolution of Democracy in Brazil has been remarkable. In 1984, after 20 years of military dictatorship, Brazilians peacefully returned to Democracy. There was no bloodshed. Since then, the country has had three presidential elections. In addition, every two years Brazilians are called to vote for various mandates including: city representatives, parliamentary members and state governors.
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The voting system is completely computerized, allowing the results of over 115 million votes to be known only a few hours after the polls close. That the country, with it’s well-known social challenges, spent the money to create a modern voting system to guarantee its citizens the right to choose their representatives is an encouraging sign that Brazil is on the right track. Let’s continue this progress by examining, questioning and fine-tuning the process.

For example, if, in Brazil, the Judiciary organizes elections in an attempt to ensure neutrality, why is this year’s president of the Justica Eleitoral a relative of the government’s candidate, Jose Serra?

What about the additional civic duties, beyond mandatory voting, that Brazilians have to bear in the name of Democracy? Any voter in Brazil may be required to work for free on Election Day. Brazilians all dread opening their mailboxes and seeing that envelope with the Justica Eleitoral logo. If you are called, you have to spend Election Day working for free while your friends are out enjoying the election holiday. Should this process be changed?

And, to return to the theme of this article, why has the privilege of voting, reserved for only a few in Ancient Greece, now turned into a mandatory act in Brazil? Should a right be turned into a duty? And if voting is a right, shouldn’t this right be exercised only if the right holder wishes to do so? It seems to me that the Brazilian politicians were excessively creative again. They created the concept of the “right-obligation”. A right may come with limits on its use. However, a right that cannot be avoided is, in fact, an obligation.

Keeps these questions in mind as the elections unfold. And remember, the world is watching and so are we, the Brazilian expatriate community.

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*Andre Camargo Lopes can be contacted at andrelopes@sympatico.ca