Should Voting be Compulsory?

I saw this retweet by Grant Shapps MP, this morning

 “@grantshapps: RT @MarkBean3 Make voting compulsory NOW! > Disagree. For us politicians to provide compelling enough reasons to vote. Compulsion not one.”

I wonder who Mr Bean thinks doesn't vote at local and general elections?  Well would it come as a surprise for him to learn that normally those who don't vote are the poor and the disenfranchised.  

For me, the 2012 local elections saw me for the first time since I became eligible, not voting, although I did attend the polling station and placed my unmarked ballot in the box.

Just what sanctions would Mr Bean propose be put in place for people who didn't vote and if it was compulsory, but voting is secret, would I have been sanctioned as I turned out and placed my ballot in the box.  I Could have easily put two crosses on it before depositing it in the box, this of course would have invalidated my vote, but I still attended and registered my disquiet at the political system by causing my ballot to be deliberately discounted, just the same as not voting, but I assume no sanction could be levelled at me as it is a secret vote!

I note Mr Shapps, as an MP, has disagreed with Mr Bean, quite right, as there is just no valid sanction you could impose on people for choosing not to vote.

People can still, even if they haven't voted register their disquiet at the iniquitous system that they feel that is imposed on them by engaging with the elected members of local councils and or Parliament, whether they voted for them or not, just as someone who supports one party who lost the election, will still have to engage with the Councillor or MP from the opposing party who won. To say that you could not engage with that elected member because your candidate didn't win would be the same thing as saying that someone who didn't vote couldn't write or engage with their councillor or MP, it just doesn't work like that.

There always has been and always will be people, through economic or for Socio economic reasons, or poor educational abilities who will never vote, but they still remain a part of the 'big society' and are exercising their right to vote or not as they choose.

Personally, setting aside my decision to protest last Thursday, I wish every one would vote.  I wish someone would come along with the charisma and personality, with well thought out policies and plans that would make our society more inclusive than it is and will remain while the same tired, corrupt politicians from the current crop of Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, continue to be our only options......