Should US citizens be required by law to vote?

Question

US voter participation is abysmal to say the least. Should citizens be monetarily penalized if they don't vote?

Here's a proposal to get the ball rolling.

A 5% tax is levied against gross unadjusted earnings. At the polling place, a receipt with a code number is issued when you vote, which you attach to your tax return (or supply the code when you e-file). This removes the voting tax. Appropriate exemptions would of course be made for infirmity, etc.

Can we have a non-partisan debate on this, without lib/con or dem/repub slurs and invective?

People have died for our right to vote. We can honor them best by living up to our responsibility.

Comments, suggestions, objections?

Thanks for the constructive criticism. Thanks for the suggestions. Thanks for the immature insults. I have to assume that some of you don't vote.

I like the idea of adding a button for no vote, to be used if the candidates are, in your opinion, not acceptable. I have often felt that way over my 36 years of active participation in the process.

The lottery idea is intriguing, and maybe this would work.

Answer 1

Rather than punish those who do not vote why not reward those who do vote? Other countries have voting on weekends and for more than one day. It has been suggested that one could deposit a ticket from their ballot into a bucket. They would find a number on that ticket and another on their receipt from their precinct. Prizes could be awarded in a state wide drawing. Depending on the state quite a bit could be offered. Of course, some see that is bribing people to do their civic duty. Somehow we simply have to instill in people's minds the importance of voting. By the closeness of the last two elections it is clear that every vote counts.

Answer 2

I agree with the concept. But that would interfere with freedom.

Good idea. We really should encourage voting.

Here's a better idea (in my opinion)

Tax breaks for voters. Those who participate in voting get a tax break. That would make it a positive thing.

Answer 3

Sometimes people choose not to vote because there is nobody worth voting for. To make a person vote when they feel this way is like asking them to tell a lie. Nobody should be forced to vote against their will.

Unless of course they give you the option of voting for "None of the above." Which will probably never happen. :-)

Answer 4

That is really one of the dumber things I have seen so far on Yahoo Answers...

People have died for our "right" to vote, not our obligation! You are forgetting that it is also our "right" to choose not to vote. Also I am very glad that some people choose to stay home on election day. There are people out there who don't know Hillary Clinton from Hilary Duff and don't care. I appreciate it when these people are mature enough to know that they are too uninformed to vote.

Answer 5

If they don't feel the need to vote, I don't want them making decisions.


Think it through. If they can't even bother to show up, which of them would research candidates and issues? Millions on millions of people picking their votes with a pin with their eyes shut will not better our condition.

Answer 6

I may have my facts screwed up, but I beleive in Australia you could be fined, I hink it's $ 10.00. not nough to be amajor burden, but it gets he vote out.

Here, I don't think it would fly. It would almost be like making it illegal not to go to church or not to read a newspaper.

PS I do vote. Missed 2 elections in past 20 years, )sudden trips out of town on business)

Answer 7

I, too, am appalled at the fact that people don't do what's right but you can't force them. Just have a political discussion with the average person and you will be shocked at how little he knows about his own government. We should make the study of civics, history and government mandatory in our schools,however.

Answer 8

I heard it's worked well in Australia

currently only the radical right and radical left vote in the USA - so the politicians answer only to the radicals. If everyone voted perhaps we'd have more balanced policies.

Answer 9

In many countries you are required to vote and if you don't you are fined. Greece is one such country. And they also have an almost 90 percent turnout each election. This is where democracy was born, and we could learn something from this!

Answer 10

No, they should have to pass a test for the privilege. What do you want, a popularity contest? Most of the people that do vote have no idea what they are voting for and you want to increase that number? I think we should exclude more voters, not force people to vote.