Mandatory voting

[Kacey]

While paging through a magazine, I ran across a blurb about voting in Australia, which is mandatory, and decided to investigate. Here's some of what I found:

Australia requires citizens to vote. Should the U.S.?By Eric Weiner
Posted Friday, Oct. 29, 2004, at 7:19 AM ET Australia, along with Belgium, is the only "mature democracy" that requires its citizens to vote and actually enforces the law. Australia is also a nation we Americans can relate to. We share similar historical narratives (outcasts fleeing Mother England), a frontier spirit, and a laid-back nature that drives Europeans nuts. So Australia makes an interesting test case for an intriguing question: Could mandatory voting work in the United States?

This article goes on to give some of the pluses and minuses:

- only people who register and fail to vote can be fined
- some people are concerned about the coercive nature of the mandatory voting law - although the article goes on to state that registered voters must show up, not vote

- voters may still vote however they choose - including randomly
- concerns for the US include a further dumbing down of campaigns, to attract those who only vote because they must, the loss of the barometer gained by determining the percentage who choose to vote, and because many people see voting as a right, not a responsibility.

Other articles discussing this issue can be found here, here, here, and here, as well as by completing a google search on the words "australia voting mandatory".

Opinions on this issue? I have my own opinion, but would rather see what others say before giving it.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

All's I vote on anymore is the Presidential elections. The politics in my state are so one sided that I gave up voting at all in state elections--no matter who I voted for the government always won.

 

[Adept]

Speaking as an Australian, I don't mind it. I'd prefer it that everyone chose to vote, and I'd prefer that everyone took the time to educate themselves on the issues to hand and the various parties policies on said issues.

But failing that, I think we get a better result through mandatory voting than voluntary voting.

 

[Hand Sword]

I say no. I'd compare that with jury duty. I hate it. If you don't show, you get arrested. As above, either way, no matter who's in power, very little changes anyway.

 

[Bigshadow]

Voting at the national level is IMO playing charades. Forcing everyone to play is down right silly. The only reason I could think of as to why they would force people to vote is because they are worried about how it looks to other countries when far less than 100% vote, (gasp! How dare they make democracy look like a flawed system..)

I think more people would willingly vote if they knew they weren't voting for the right and left hands of the same body, but actually voting for a difference.

I stopped voting at the national level the last election. A no-vote is a vote for none of the above, IMO.

 

[Ping898]

It is an interesting thing for Australia I guess. I don't see it ever working in the US though. The only people who would actually pay the fines would be the people who probably vote in the first place. What about if I am sick, can I appeal the fine with a doctor's note. What about those with no transportation. We all know of the scandal in N.H. where one party blocked the phone number or something of the other party that was offering rides to the elderly to vote if they called and asked for one.
And what happens if I want to vote in this election but not the next, I can't unregister. Plus I just moved, between the last election and this one. I don't think N.M. really knows I moved, are they going to fine me for not voting there when I do end up voting here. Lets not forget our wonderful elected leaders play with the counties every 6 months, so your voting station was at your fire house 2 miles away this year, but next year will be at the school 10 miles away that take a hour to drive after work....if you are lucky...

There is just too much corruption in the current system and too many variables on why someone might not get to vote (or even just get into the voting station)

Good Luck to the folks Down Under, but I don't see something like that flying here....

 

[Andrew Green]

Because the average voters right now are so well informed they want to bring the ones that care even less and pay less attention into thee mix?

 

[terryl965]

I would say noyou vote if you choose too not because someone says you have too. Democeracy is so great

 

[donna]

Even though it is compulsory here, if you can give a good enough reason, they do not fine you. Personally I dont think it should be compulsory, because a lot of people here vote for a party for all the wrong reasons. Some just "donkey vote" putting blank forms in the box.
I tend to agree with the sentiment that it dosnt matter who you vote for, they are all the same when in power.

 

[Cryozombie]

Sure, we should make make voting manditory. One less Freedom we dont really need in our "free society"