I wouldn't mind a system where people are forced to turn in a ballot, whether in person or by mail. They don't have to fill it out, but they have to turn it in or get a fine. The idea here would be that most people would just go ahead and fill it out anyway. We might be able to get actual turnout (excluding empty ballots) up to around 75% - 80% that way, which is pretty satisfactory. I don't see a fundamental violation of our rights in that (though it is probably not constitutional), as no one is forced to actually cast a vote.
At the very least, we need to have same day/automatic voter registration, county-wide polling places, closing times at no earlier than 8, two weeks at least of early voting, permanent no-excuse absentee voting and a prohibition of photo ID laws unless proven necessary (there are better ways to prevent in-person fraud than photo IDs, which reduce young/minority turnout). There is no good reason we can't do those things, and the reason we haven't in so many areas is because of pure partisanship and the desire to win above everything else.
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?
Yep your last paragraph is the best argument against mandatory voting
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