What do you think of this proposal to induce people to VOTE!?

Question

No United States citizen can legally be required to PAY to vote...but what if registered voters were fined $50 for failing to cast any vote in primary or general elections?

After all, one can always go to the polls and push the "cast ballot" button on a completely blank ballot, to show that one doesn't like any of the choices offered. In every state, an absentee ballot is available for anyone who'll be unable to go to his/her designated polling place. Many states now have early voting. In short, we're running out of excuses not to vote.

After watching Iraqis stand in line for hours, uncertain whether they'd survive the process, but determined to exercise their brand-new right to vote, it was pretty embarassing to see our poor turnout at the next election we held here.

Perhaps being fined for failing to exercise this most precious of our rights and most solemn of our responsibilities as citizens would induce more of us to get to the polls and VOTE! What do you think?

I've served as a polling place election official for more than 12 years. Believe me, plenty of the people who show up to vote are not particularly well-informed.

Better candidates, more substantive campaigns, a longer period in which to vote--these and many other things will help.

But we all could place less emphasis on our RIGHTS and a bit more on our DUTY and RESPONSIBILITY to show up on the one day every couple of years that the PEOPLE actually GOVERN. Yet most offices in this country are filled by fewer than 25% of those eligible to cast a ballot.

"Every freeholder, actually resident within the county...shall appear...and give his vot at such election, upon penalty of forfeiting 200 pounds of tobacco...." (This law was enacted in 1705 and was in force throughout a greater part of the Colonial History of Virinia.) from Good Citizen, 1948

Answer 1

That is actually a reality in many democracies around the world. I have a friend from Greece who now lives here and has become an American citizen, and that is how it is there. It is why they also have about 80 percent of their voters vote on election day.

Answer 2

i think the importance of the voter turnout rate is just as an indice for the political activity of the general population. A good turnout rate means that people are involved. But just increasing the turnout rate by instituting a tax on NOT voting (which would be unconstitutional by the way and i know its just a hypothetically whim of yours) does not change the attitude of the people. To increase the voter turnout rate, educate the general populus about the issues, the candidates, and history. That way not only will you encourage more people to vote, the ones who do will be informed and less likely to be swept into the bandwagon, partisan politics so evident in this age.

Answer 3

You have the right NOT to vote. The way to get more people to vote is to make it easier. Here in Denver last November was a nightmare. Instead of the old precincts which were great. In and out in 5 minutes, they set up "Super Precincts" 6 or 7 around the city. The lines were 7 and 8 hours long. This is what happens when the government tries to improve something. Quit trying to fix things that aren't broke. Just make it easy and people will vote.

Answer 4

No, I don't agree with trying to coerce people to vote that aren't interested. In fact, I think trying to get people to vote is way worse than a low turn out.
Voting is a right, but it is a right that, if exercised, should be exercised with responsibility. If I'm going to vote, I should be well informed, know how my government works, and be capable of CRITICAL thinking.
Now imagine someone spends time to research the issues and the candidates, learn how the government works, and decides who and what to vote for based on well-informed and rational thinking.
Then some other ignorant person goes and votes the opposite based on a misleading commercial they saw on TV.
The ignorant person just cancelled out the vote of the rational and well-informed person. That's what ignorant voters do; they dilute the votes of people that are well informed.
So what we should want is well educated voters. The size of the turnout is not nearly as important as the QUALITY of the turnout. Corrupt governments thrive on an ignorant constituency. The less ignorant people that vote, the better.
This is a major reason that the quality of our education is so important.
If you notice the population getting more ignorant, you'll probably notice more corruption in government. Why? Because they know they can get enough ignorant people to vote for them to cancel out the well-informed/rational vote.
The one thing we have going for us is that ignorant people tend to not vote because they don't care/ didn't know about the election/ were too lazy to register/ etc. Don't encourage them. If you want to encourage them to do anything, encourage them to get educated and think for themselves.

If you are ignorant and insist on voting, find out which way the other ignorant people are going to vote and vote the exact opposite. You'll probably be making the best choice for your city/state/country.

Note: Ignorant is not meant as a derogatory term (i.e. I don't mean "stupid"). I just mean "not well-informed and an underdeveloped level of critical thinking"

Answer 5

i'm all for getting more people to vote, but fining them for not voting isn't the way to go about it, for one of your rights is that you don't have to. The truth is, people rarely see any of the effects their vote has on the issues they care about, and without seeing that your vote matters, very few people see much reason for it.

Answer 6

There are some people who do not care and would not take the time to be informed. It is better these people did not vote. there is too much at stake.

Answer 7

That wouldn't encourage me to vote....it would just encourage me not to register to vote....

If you want me to vote, find me a candidate worth voting for...

Answer 8

How about we fine people for asking stupid questions.

Answer 9

land owners should only vote.

Answer 10

& we need more uninformed apathetic voters because?