Should the US have mandatory voting?

[emailking]

I think yes but:

1. You can cast blank on any race or even for the entire ballot.
2. Voting lasts an entire week, 7 to 7 each day (for major elections). Taxes increase if necessary to make that possible.
3. You can vote absentee without having to provide an excuse.
4. Penalty for not voting is a modest fine.
5. Not applicable to primaries or minor elections.

[emailking]

Really? You don't see a problem with fining people for not turning in a piece of paper, many of which will be blank anyway? That's borderline coercion IMO.

I don't see a problem with it, no. Ok so it's coercion. You can also get in trouble for not filling out your census form. That's coercion too.

All I can say is the mandatory voting that we have in Australia forcibly enfranchises the apathetic, a lot of whom will make their decisions as they stroll to the polling both or even as they're actually in the booth. Think about it. Do you really want the disinterested to vote?

Yes because it will entice many of them to become minimally interested. And it's not just the disinterested that don't vote. When I was 18 I was a huge political junkie, but I didn't vote in my first possible Presidential election because I knew my individual vote did not matter. There are probably a lot of people who know the basic issues and care but don't vote based on a cost benefit analysis of their time. This would get them to vote.

Finally, I find it odd that people, especially on the left, would suggest a penalty or fine.  Particularly when the people most likely to forget to show up, fail to register, can't get off work, etc., are low income and minority demographics.  How unbelievably patronizing.

That's why I said it has to be coupled with week long voting and the option to vote absentee without an excuse. I'd favor automatic voter registration too.

And for everyone saying that being required to vote violates your rights, I don't doubt that it's probably unconstitutional at the moment and possibly untenable solely via legislation. But then I think we should change the Constitution to require it. Then it wouldn't be violating your rights anymore, because your rights would be different.

[emailking]

Make Election Day a public holiday, or move it to the weekend.

This, plus keep it non-compulsory.

I agree with keeping it non-compulsory, but move it to Saturday - We do elections just fine on a Saturday, and the polling stations are open from 8-6, so plenty of opportunity to vote.

For states with early voting like IL this already exists. Election day becomes merely the last day to cast a ballot. Moving the day probably wouldn't change anything for us.

Are all the polling stations open early though? In my state, the early vote locations cover many precincts. My early vote location is a half hour away, whereas my normal polling location is 5 min away. I was excited when we passed early voting, but when I realized this dynamic, it's actually much more convenient for me to just vote on election day. It would be even more convenient if it wasn't a work day.

Of course I would vote even if I had to do it at 3 AM and an hour away, but for the average voter I think the extra convenience matters a lot. That's why I would like to see voting expanded to multiple days (with all stations opened) and liberal use of absentee voting if desired.

[emailking]

It's not cost effective to have every precinct open for the whole early voting period

Sure, but then there's a big difference between an early voting day and election day, and so holding the election on a weekend instead of a weekday could make a big difference.

Personally, I think all/most should be open for many days, even if it's not cost effective. I'm willing to pay extra taxes if it makes it easier for everyone to vote.

[emailking]

No. We'd look WAY too much like a communist authoritarian regime. And the whole idea of it isn't good itself. People in jail over not voting for the lesser of two evils? No.

But jail doesn't have to be the penalty. It could be a modest fine.

Also, the requirement doesn't necessarily need to be to check a box so much as turn in a ballot (possibly blank).

[emailking]

I really don't understand the logic of forcing politically ignorant and apathetic people to vote.

Well in my view, there shouldn't be any major penalty, just a small fine. (Plus casting a blank ballot is fine, plus voting absentee w/o justification is fine.)

Think of it like jury duty. You can easily get out of serving on a jury by saying you are opposed to trial by jury. But you still have to show up as a civic duty.