One of the most controversial solutions proposed to counter voter apathy is compulsory
voting. Early variations of the idea and practice have existed since ancient times, but a more
systematic consideration began in the second half of the nineteenth century. A long series of
legislative proposals in the French Third Republic (1870-1940) and a constitutional reform in
Belgium (1893) opened the path for thought-provoking parliamentary debates. In the 1920s,
other countries followed suit and, in particular, Greece, where the different historical context …