“Uruguay Does NOT Force Prisoners to Vote — Most Can't Vote At All”
The claim that Uruguay requires all incarcerated prisoners to vote and extends their sentences for non-compliance is entirely false. In reality, most convicted prisoners in Uruguay have their voting rights suspended by the Constitution, and a structural legal barrier prevents even eligible inmates from casting ballots.
A Real Compulsory Voting System
Uruguay is genuinely proud of its compulsory voting system, enshrined in Article 77 of its Constitution since 1967, and it is one of roughly 30 countries in the world that mandates voter participation. This has given Uruguay a reputation for strong civic engagement, with turnout regularly exceeding 90%.
Prisoners Lose Voting Rights By Law
The claim is wrong in every particular when applied to prisoners. Most convicted inmates in Uruguay have their citizenship rights — and therefore their right to vote — suspended under Article 80 of the Constitution for the duration of their criminal proceedings. A 1999 reform, Ley Nº 17.113, amending the 1925 Ley de Elecciones (Ley Nº 7.812), went further, banning polling stations in Armed Forces and Police premises. Since Uruguay's prisons fall under those same authorities, no ballot boxes are ever placed inside them, blocking even prisoners who technically retain eligibility (such as some pre-trial detainees) from voting in practice.
Advocates Push For Prisoner Voting Rights
Uruguayan human rights advocates, including the country's Commissioner for Penitentiary Affairs, have argued for years that this state of affairs violates constitutional rights, and the debate over granting prisoners the vote has been active in Uruguayan political discourse. Uruguay's actual problem is the opposite of the myth: rights groups argue the system unjustly strips prisoners of the vote, not that it coerces them to exercise it.
Where the story gets it wrong
People conflate Uruguay's real and well-known compulsory voting system, which applies to eligible citizens, with a fictional version applying to prisoners. In fact, most Uruguayan prisoners cannot vote because their citizenship rights are constitutionally suspended when formally charged with crimes that may result in penitentiary sentences.
The penalty for any eligible citizen who skips an election is a modest fine (approximately USD 45), not imprisonment or an extended sentence, and there is no mechanism in Uruguayan law to extend a prison sentence as punishment for failing to vote.
No such law exists. Uruguay's Constitution (Article 77) mandates compulsory voting for all eligible citizens. However, Article 80 suspends citizenship rights — including the right to vote — for anyone formally charged in a criminal case that could result in a penitentiary sentence. Additionally, the Ley de Elecciones (Ley Nº 7.812 of 16 January 1925) was amended in 1999 by Ley Nº 17.113 to prohibit the installation of vote-receiving commissions in Armed Forces and Police premises, and the distribution of ballot papers there. Because Uruguay's prisons operate under the Ministry of the Interior, the practical effect is that no polling stations are set up in prisons at all, making it physically impossible for most inmates to vote regardless of their legal eligibility. The actual penalty for an eligible citizen who fails to vote without justification is a small fine of 1 Unidad Reajustable (approximately UYU 1,820 / ~USD 45) under Law No. 16,017 — not an extended prison sentence.
- Current status
- Never Enforced
- Penalty
- No such law or penalty exists. The actual penalty for eligible citizens who do not vote is a fine of 1 Unidad Reajustable (~UYU 1,820 / ~USD 45) under Law No. 16,017.
- Jurisdiction
- National law; applies across the entire Republic of Uruguay