Compulsory Voting
Believe it or not, fifty-seven and a half percent of Americans voted in the 2012 presidential election. That is a little over half of all Americans that are eligible to vote; so many ask, what about the other half? The top three reasons people do not vote is because they are too busy and have a conflicting schedule, illness or disability, or simply because they lack interest. Voting is important, after all the end result is the leader of the United States or maybe even your local government. Compulsory voting, also known as mandatory voting, is a system in which voters are required to register to vote and to go to their polling place or vote on election day. Consequently, not voting would result in a fine or even possible jail time. Although voting is important, citizens should not be punished for choosing not to do so. Mandatory voting laws should not be implemented in the United States because it is unconstitutional, there would be …show more content…
Their main reason for doing so is to increase voter turnout. According to Noah Berlatsky in a 2016 article of The Week, increased political participation can legitimize elected governments and educate people on civics and politics (Noah Berlatsky). Berlatsky believes compulsory voting will make for a more robust democracy. If only half of the population votes, it makes for a weak democracy. If everyone votes, it makes for a more valid election. It will ensure that the winning candidates are represented by a majority of the population, not just a select few voters. Another argument Berlatsky makes is that it will better educate citizens in civics and politics (Noah Berlatsky). By making people vote, they will make the best of the vote by by researching and learning about the different issues and
Believe it or not, fifty-seven and a half percent of Americans voted in the 2012 presidential election. That is a little over half of all Americans that are eligible to vote; so many ask, what about the other half? The top three reasons people do not vote is because they are too busy and have a conflicting schedule, illness or disability, or simply because they lack interest. Voting is important, after all the end result is the leader of the United States or maybe even your local government. Compulsory voting, also known as mandatory voting, is a system in which voters are required to register to vote and to go to their polling place or vote on election day. Consequently, not voting would result in a fine or even possible jail time. Although voting is important, citizens should not be punished for choosing not to do so. Mandatory voting laws should not be implemented in the United States because it is unconstitutional, there would be …show more content…
Their main reason for doing so is to increase voter turnout. According to Noah Berlatsky in a 2016 article of The Week, increased political participation can legitimize elected governments and educate people on civics and politics (Noah Berlatsky). Berlatsky believes compulsory voting will make for a more robust democracy. If only half of the population votes, it makes for a weak democracy. If everyone votes, it makes for a more valid election. It will ensure that the winning candidates are represented by a majority of the population, not just a select few voters. Another argument Berlatsky makes is that it will better educate citizens in civics and politics (Noah Berlatsky). By making people vote, they will make the best of the vote by by researching and learning about the different issues and