Oxford hosts debate on compulsory voting - 1 Sep, 2006
Thursday September 14
6pm, Brasenose College, Oxford
(Public meeting free - open to all)
www.democracyseries.org.uk
Is voting a right or a duty? Is
compulsory voting the best solution to low turnouts? Should we examine other
solutions rather than forcing people to the ballot box?
These are the issues that will be tackled at a Hansard Society public debate on
compulsory voting at Brasenose College, Oxford
on Thursday September 14. Chris Ballinger (Brasenose
College) and Ben Rogers (IPPR) will be
debating the pros and the meeting will be chaired by Dr David Butler (Nuffield College).
Democracy and Voting - the second publication in the Hansard Society's
Democracy Serie - will be launched at the meeting. Democracy and
Voting, by Dr Chris Ballinger, with commentaries by Dr Ken Ritchie, Professor
Helen Margetts and Dr Ben Rogers raises questions about whether compulsory
voting would encourage civic engagement or mask underlying alienation from the
political system.
These issues will be debated on
the Democracy Series website (www.democracyseries.org.uk)
where the pamphlets can be downloaded free. Anyone with an interest in vital
issues affecting the future of our democracy is encouraged to join the debate.
To book your place at the
launch debate in Oxford
on September 14, contact hans_admin@hansard.lse.ac.uk
For further information, or
to request interviews, contact Virginia Gibbons at the Hansard Society on 020
7438 1225 or 07812 765 552
Editors' Notes
- The Hansard Society is an independent,
non-partisan educational charity, which exists to promote effective
parliamentary democracy
- The Democracy Series is a major new project
from the Hansard Society focusing on fundamental concerns about the future
of democracy at home and abroad. The Democracy Series draws together
contributions from a range of experts and actively encourages people from
all sections of society to voice their opinions via a moderated online
debate at www.democarcyseries.org.uk