It's mandatory here in Ecuador, too. You get a little voting-certificate that you have to show for basically every bureaucratic process, so almost everything in life here. It has it pros and cons, but these days, I think it's becoming more negative than positive. There are no informed people anymore, just influenced people. Same way as you mention with material things, it's with politics here. There is no real plan. No real proposal. Everything is based on creating emotions and entrench those, against "the other".
The promise of free stuff is quite similar. Short term dopamine kick of any kind, but nothing lasting, nothing sustainable. The next election is in 4 years, why think further than that?