Petition · past parliament
Make voting compulsory for all electors in all UK elections and referendums.
Rejected
17 signatures
What the petition asks
Voting would be a civic responsibility similar to education and paying taxes. It would ensure that elected Parliaments and referendum decisions reflect the decision of all the electorate. Declining turnouts in elections and referendums would not be contentious in terms of constituting consent.
The quality of campaigning would be raised to focus on issues and policies as opposed to personalities, engendering fear and canvassing to get out the vote. Civic responsibility would become an important part of the educational curriculum, encouraging young people to understand issues which affect them and to participate in civic society.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
Timeline
| 24 Jun 2016 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 29 Jun 2016 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
17
Status
Rejected
Rejected
29 Jun 2016
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.