Well for starters, people are free to vote in my opinion. If you force people to vote then something isn't right.

I guess, well your living and working in a democracy where the people decide. Without the people voting the system doesn't work and can for example lead that a minority of the people can basically decide what is happening in a country. If one person doesn't do it its not a big deal but if masses of people decide not to vote it can have a certain impact.

Second some people claim it is because some of our ancestors died/suffered/protested we have been given the right to determine what is right instead of a certain Despot. Basicly not voting would men for them the ignoring of the sacrifice some people took.

Thirdly, one I heard recently, if you don't vote you basically demonstrate you don't care how your country is driven and basicly you don't have the right to complain either. (Strange thinking, but it has some logic).

Finally some people could want you to vote when there is basicly no choice so it seems that a certain candidate has a larger support of the people then he actually has. Last one would happen in a more rigged democracy.

Nonetheless, in my country there has been a Dut/requirement to vote which was set in law. This has only been changed for several decades. In my opinion our free to vote, not voting, or voting blanco has no effect but in large enough numbers demonstrates to the people/parties in power that the voters see there is no choice. Nonetheless I would still encourage people to vote, mostly because some people just vote because they are lazy or just don't want to make time for it.

Speaking of here in the U.S., people should vote just as they should brush their teeth and take baths regularly. Making people do any of these and other noble things would be next to impossible.

OswaldTheOsprey

Thank you for your help.

I don't fear this unless the minority organizes itself, which I don't see happening.

This is not how I view my (USA) founding father's actions, I see them as an example that even once government has gone too far it is not too late to change it. There is some room here for a duty to posterity but I'd be hard pressed to turn that into a specific duty to vote.

hmm I'm not sure how either of these imply a duty to vote.

I think this implies a duty the other way.

gommi; I have opinions, but I'm not sure why you should say it's bad for me not to use them to effect government.
OswaldTheOsprey; I don't understand voting as hygiene.
Dormouse; my question is not whether people have voted about the duty, it's a question of how I should vote in such a contest.

I don't vote because I've never had a desire to, refuse is a strong word for my position.

It's a negitive position, I don't think there is a deeper why without taking apart my consciousness.

I would say the number one reason why people don't vote in the US is because most are happy and content with their lives...people tend to be galvanized and vote when they are mad at something.

#2 reason is the person is an extreme realist and uses statistics based reasoning....your vote doesn't count.  The chance that your vote would statistically count is less than the chance of winning the lottery...a lot less

I thought the OP question was "why is it a duty to vote?" (or why some people hold that it is a duty).

Now it seems you are asking a different question.