Compulsory voting
Countries that have compulsory voting by law but do not enforce it:Although voting in a country may be compulsory, penalties for failing to vote are not always strictly enforced. In Australia and Brazil, providing a legitimate reason for not voting (such as illness) is accepted. In Argentina, those who were ill on voting day are excused by requesting a doctor to prove their condition; those over away from their voting place are also excused by asking for a certificate at a police station near where they are. Belgian voters can vote in an embassy if they are abroad or can empower another voter to cast the vote in their name; the voter must give a "permission to vote" and carry a copy of the eID card and their own on the actual elections.
Human rights in Belgium
Eighteen is the age when the right to vote is attained. Universal suffrage was enacted in 1893. Belgium was the first country in the world to introduce compulsory voting, in 1892 for men and 1949 for women. Eligible voters who fail to cast a ballot "face a moderate fine or, if they fail to vote in at least four elections, they can lose the right to vote for 10 years."