Should voting be mandated?
I posed this question on my Facebook page a while back and was surprised with the answers.
Most people said “no” and asked how it would be enforced. The reasons for the “no” answers were: “It would be like a dictatorship,” and that “We have the right to free speech and mandating the vote goes against that.”
Before I go on, I realize that voting will probably will not be mandated, so this discussion/debate is purely hypothetical.
Daily Kos came out with this article titled: “George Will: Higher voter turnout is bad because Hitler” in 2012.
“George Will is very concerned that the Obama administration is talking about trying to make it easier to register to vote and vote, which Will sees as a slippery slope toward mandatory voting, which would be bad because “As indifferent or reluctant voters are nagged to the polls—or someday prodded there by a monetary penalty for nonvoting—the caliber of the electorate must decline.” Along the way to that concern for the caliber of the electorate, Will quotes longtime bad guy Hans von Spakovsky and cites the example of Nazi Germany. Which should tell you pretty much all you need to know about this argument.”
The fact that Conservative George Will is at all concerned with mandated voting only re-enforces my argument and is (to me) a justification that it is a great idea.
Opinions are like assholes and everyone has one. What’s yours?
Here is mine:
I see voting more as a civic duty. We all live in this country and we owe it to each other as a national community to do what’s best for everyone. There are rules in place in schools, the workplace and most other organized groups. If voting were mandated, each and every ballot could supply write-in options for every elective office from the president on down. That takes care of free speech.
Right now, if you are called to jury duty, you have to go. Period. If you want to drive a car, the law says you need a license and requires a test that you must pass in order to drive. You have to pay taxes. Do you feel that this is a dictatorship?
It would be quite easy to enforce mandated voting. There is already a database of those who have voted. It would simply be a matter of electronically cross-referencing voter rolls with tax rolls. Don’t vote – pay a fine. For fun, let’s say $20 – that is the fine Australia levies on its citizens who do not vote. That money could be used for the good of American communities. It could and should be tightly regulated and be used for the funding of infrastructure, health care, education or something that will benefit all.
Those who wish not to vote—but insist on bitching and complaining about what the ELECTED officials do−would be contributing rather than just complaining. Some will surely argue that $20 is a lot of money for people who have low incomes. So the answer would be to vote. Voila! No fine. Click the link to read more about how compulsory voting works in Australia HERE. Do you think Australia is a dictatorship? If your answer is yes, perhaps you need a dictionary and a reality check.
93 million eligible citizens did not vote in 2012. Think of how much money could go back into the economy. $20 x 93 million for roads, bridges, schools…you get the idea.
For those who complain about having to vote the lesser of two evils, consider this: You may not like your choices but someone WILL be elected. People freaking died so that you could have a say. Take it. Realize that it is incremental. One thing leads to another. If enough people take responsibility and participate, we might actually not have to choose between two crappy candidates. Crappy selections are our fault.
Additionally, for those who argue that the system is corrupt – you are correct. It is corrupt. Has there ever been a government in the history of the world that has not been corrupt in some way? AND whose fault is it? Considering We The People are the majority and we are the ones who elect politicians, it stands to reason that if enough of us demand change, we shall see change. How does walking away from or ignoring corruption solve anything? EVER? When you see a leak in your roof, do you just turn away and pretend it isn’t there?
The Flaw:
People may vote in order to avoid the fine but remain uneducated about the politicians and their policies. This happens anyway. Granted, there may be more uneducated people who vote, but it also might make more people choose to actually understand what’s really on the table and hold politicians accountable. Imagine that! For the ones who choose not to vote, let them contribute $20 instead of only whining about what a terrible system we have.
Elected officials are CIVIL SERVANTS and they are paid with our tax dollars. We allow them to collect healthy pensions. We allow them to create laws that we must live by. We should all have a say in who is elected. They SERVE us. We EMPLOY them.
Frankly, the argument against voting is whiny, irresponsible and selfish. As a voter, you will not always get your way. This is life. You cast your vote and realize that change happens over time and sometimes, the change you wish to see is halted or may not take place. Deciding that voting is not worth it because you don’t get your way every single time is tantamount to stomping your angry feet and throwing a hissy fit because it’s not all about you.
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