Legislating compulsory voting can have a dramatic effect on American voter turnout like Australia
A Case For Compulsory Voting
Firebrand Progressives
In the U.S., it is often lamented that voter turnout is wretchedly low. It hovers in the mid-upper 50s nationally during Presidential years, with only a small handful of states hitting 70%. During Midterm years, it’s far worse. | Democracy, elections and voting at Democracy Chronicles
Tom Amlie says
What an appalling idea. First, it’s a gross, unconscionable, revolting display of government overreach, infringing on the most fundamental rights of the individual, and running counter to all of the long-held ideals we’ve had in this country. Anyone who would propose this needs to flat out admit that they think the government should be able to force you to do anything they want, and that individuals shouldn’t have any say over their own lives and activities.
Second, I imagine that those who don’t vote are those who have no knowledge of or interest in the issues of the day. Given that they are willfully and deliberately ignorant of issues on which opinions would be formed, do you really think it would lead to improved electoral outcomes to force them to vote? A majority of people in this country can’t name their two Senators, can’t name the majority or minority leader in either chamber of Congress, wouldn’t know the Constitution if it was laid in front of them, have no grasp of history, economics, or ethics, and have no idea whatsoever on how candidates stand on these issues (which they themselves don’t understand). Are these the people you want to force to choose those who will govern us? These are the very people who would be most easily swayed by the lowest common denominator of political rhetoric. They neither know nor care about the issues, so they’ll either vote randomly or they’ll vote for the candidate who had the most memorable advertisement. I realize that some politicians WANT and HOPE that ignorant people will vote – that’s their only hope to get elected.