Should every citizen be legally required to vote, or is the right to not participate just as important as the right to vote?

Assume it’s enforceable — a real fine for skipping it, no exceptions for apathy or protest. This isn’t about turnout drives or getting people excited to vote; it’s about whether abstaining should even be allowed.

Mandatory voting treats participation in self-government as a civic duty on par with jury duty or taxes. Voting stays optional treats the choice not to vote — even out of protest or disengagement — as a legitimate exercise of the same freedom that makes voting meaningful in the first place.

Which side do you take, and why?