Should voting be mandatory in America?

[Jamaal510]

Recently with all of these voter ID laws being proposed, I started pondering what it would be like if voting was mandatory instead, like how the U.S. Census is required every few years. Not that there's much of a chance of it happening anytime soon with all of these Republicans in power wanting to keep people from voting, but I believe voting should be mandatory because it's only fair that everyone should have a say in how the country is ran.

[niyad]

1. in that case, the parties damned well better be coming up with decent candidates.

[dimbear]

2. Everyone does have a say. "I don't care" is a say.

Americans, let's face it, aren't too bright. Let's let the motivated continue to rule.

[SATIRical]

20. +1 (nt)

[The Magistrate]

3. It Could Cure Much That Is Wrong With Our Political Life, Sir

Most of the worst features of our politics are attempts to 'shape the electorate' which turns out on a particular date, by discouraging some demographic elements and exciting others to great fervor. Simply ensuring everyone of voting age came out to vote would render such tactics null.

[Lint Head]

4. Would you put people into jail that do not vote?

[COLGATE4]

22. Many countries require voting by law.

If you fail to vote you pay a fine. I for one believe it would be a marked improvement in our system, particularly if Election Day were changed so as to take place on a Saturday or preferably Sunday so voters would not have to compromise their pay in exchange for fulfilling their civic duty.

[pipi_k]

5. Not sure what

that would accomplish.

yeah, we'd get people to the polls, but what happens after that?


I'm not sure I would like an unqualified person being elected accidentally just because a whole lot of pissed off people, forced to vote, happened to pull random levers.

[trackfan]

6. Yes, but with a "None of the above" option. nt

[2ndAmForComputers]

9. ^^^ Yes.

[RebelOne]

26. Yes, I would go with that option. n/t

[Johnny Rico]

7. No. Gee, that was easy.

...I believe voting should be mandatory because it's only fair that everyone should have a say in how the country is ran.

If someone can't be troubled to vote of their own accord, I don't want them to have a say in how the country is run.

[SugarShack]

8. In Austrailia they tack on the equal payment due of $250.00 on your tax bill at end of year

for not voting. France, Venezuala, they vote at 85% too. They all have healthcare and actually get something for all of their tax dollars. WE...can't even get a pothole fixed!

[bart95]

10. mourning public leader should be mandatory, too

any leader worth people being forced to vote for, is worth forcing people to mourn for

[loyalsister]

11. I don't think so

I look at it as a privilege and a duty. If it were to be considered only a duty, I think it would lose an important conceptual element of it's value.

[cynatnite]

12. Nope, but it would be better to make election day a federal holiday. n/t

[demosincebirth]

13. I do too, but the republicans will not go for it.

[Nye Bevan]

15. You don't need to make it a holiday.

Postal ballots for all, with a postage-paid envelope. No more polling places or having to vote within a specified time window on a specific day.

[demosincebirth]

23. More people vote the worse it is for republicans. They know it, too. Why do you think the want

to suppress voting in certain states and cities? I agree with you...postal ballots.

[dpbrown]

14. Yes, it's the price of living in a democracy

Australia makes voting basically mandatory, and also uses ranked choice voting. That's the direction we should be going here, not into making voting even more exclusion with faux voting fraud and new Jim Crow laws.

[ohheckyeah]

16. Sure....

let's line people up and shoot them for not voting.

Seriously, why would we force people to vote?

[-..__...]

17. Sure...

and it would be my sincerest wish that the legislator that introduced any such bill, the bills cosponsors, the legislators that voted "yea" and the CiC that signed the bill into law, be promptly voted out of office.

Now... how do you like dem apples?

[cherokeeprogressive]

18. Nnnnnope.

[Speck Tater]

19. So that all the people who don't give a damn will step in the booth and choose at random? nt

[HopeHoops]

21. It has been in Australia for decades. Of course, they also got rid of the penny decades ago.

[Throd]

24. HELL NO! Go talk to ten random strangers.

[FSogol]

25. Nope. n/t