Editing Compulsory voting (section)

===Modern era===
From the 19th century onward a relatively small number of democracies have introduced compulsory voting at one time or another. From 1862 to 1998, compulsory voting was enacted in 20 democracies, most of which were in Western Europe or Latin America.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Meguid |first1=Bonnie M. |last2=Helmke |first2=Gretchen |date=2007 |title=Endogenous Institutions: The Origins of Compulsory Voting Laws |language=en |s2cid=10665132}}</ref> [[Belgium]] has the oldest extant compulsory voting system which was introduced in 1893 for men,<ref>{{cite journal|jstor=1010372|title=Compulsory Voting in Belgium|first=A.|last=Nerincx|date=28 March 2018|journal=The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science|volume=18|issue=2|pages=87–90|doi=10.1177/000271620101800204|s2cid=144588223}}</ref> and in 1948 for women.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The achievement of female suffrage in Europe: on women's citizenship|first=R.|last=Rubio-Marin|date=1 January 2014|journal=International Journal of Constitutional Law|volume=12|issue=1|pages=4–34|doi=10.1093/icon/mot067|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Compulsory voting for national elections was introduced in Australia in 1924, with states and territories passing their own compulsory voting laws at various times.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/Publications/voting/index.htm |title=Compulsory voting in Australia |publisher=Australian Electoral Commission |access-date=23 December 2019}}</ref> Voluntary voting in Australia before 1924 accounted between 47% and 78% turnout of eligible voters. Following the introduction of compulsory federal voting in 1924 this figure increased to between 91% and 96%,<ref>{{cite web |title=Who voted in previous referendums and elections |url=http://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/Australian_Electoral_History/Voter_Turnout.htm#fn |access-date=28 March 2018 |website=Australian Electoral Commission}}</ref> with only 5% of eligible voters accounted as not enrolled.<ref>{{cite web|title=2016 federal election Key facts and figures|url=http://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/Federal_Elections/2016/key-facts.htm|access-date=28 March 2018|website=Australian Electoral Commission}}</ref> The Netherlands and Venezuela are among several countries that have moved from compulsory to voluntary voting, in 1967 and 1993 respectively.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Compulsory Voting – International IDEA |url=https://www.idea.int/data-tools/data/voter-turnout/compulsory-voting |access-date=2019-05-05 |website=www.idea.int}}< Turnout in the Netherlands decreased from 95% to around 80%.<nowiki><ref></nowiki>{{Cite web |title=Netherlands {{!}} International IDEA |url=https://www.idea.int/data-tools/country-view/227/40 |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=www.idea.int}}</ref> Venezuela saw turnout drop from 82% to 61% in 1993 once compulsion was removed.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |title=Venezuela {{!}} International IDEA |url=https://www.idea.int/data-tools/country-view/300/40 |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=www.idea.int}}</ref>