Proposal: Make Voting Mandatory
Pro/Con Summary
PRO:
CON:
Sources:
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-11-19-civics_N.htm
http://infosurhoy.com/cocoon/saii/xhtml/en_GB/features/saii/features/main/2010/10/06/feature-02
http://www.aec.gov.au/faqs/voting_australia.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/opinion/sunday/telling-americans-to-vote-or-else.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
- Just like paying taxes and serving on juries, voting is a civic duty that should be backed up by the force of law.
- Increasing voter turnout would make elected officials more accountable to the public will. Fining those who do not vote would be a promising way of improving turnout.
CON:
- Refraining from voting is an expression of speech; criminalizing not voting would violate our first amendment right to free speech.
- If we want more people to participate in our federal elections, we should change the electoral process so that every person is excited about casting her ballot. Ways to do this include (1) reforming the way campaigns are financed so corporations, special interests, and the wealthy no longer choose which candidates appear on the ballot, (2) eliminating the electoral college system so a vote from any state – not just Florida, Ohio, or Virginia – has the power to tip the election, and (3) strengthening civics education in our schools so every American develops an appreciation for voting in every election.
- Fining eligible citizens who do not vote would not necessarily make our elections produce better elected officials. Many citizens don’t vote not because they choose not to, but because circumstances make it difficult for them to do so. If we want more people to vote, we should let people vote early and by mail. We should also let people register to vote on election day, and we should improve how we finance elections, so there are more polling locations and shorter lines.
- Even if the fines forced some people into the ballot box, that doesn’t mean the votes those people would cast would be thoughtful or in line with their values. Uninformed voters may be easily persuaded by political advertising and biased news reports.
Sources:
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-11-19-civics_N.htm
http://infosurhoy.com/cocoon/saii/xhtml/en_GB/features/saii/features/main/2010/10/06/feature-02
http://www.aec.gov.au/faqs/voting_australia.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/opinion/sunday/telling-americans-to-vote-or-else.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0