Should Voting Be Mandated?

***This post was updated on 12/23/12

I posed this question on my Facebook page recently and was surprised with the answers.

Most people said “no” and asked how it would be enforced. The reasons for the “no” answers were: “It would be like a dictatorship,” and that “We have the right to free speech and mandating the vote goes against that.”

Before I go on, I realize that voting will probably never be mandated, so this discussion/debate is purely hypothetical. I have made up my mind about it but am willing and interested to hear constructive arguments against it. I have been known to change my mind and can be convinced to look at things differently. I ask that if you choose to weigh in, you keep your point constructive.

Daily Kos came out with this article on 12/20/12. The fact that  Conservative George Will, is at all concerned with mandated voting only re-enforces my argument (in my eyes).

"George Will is very concerned that the Obama administration is talking about trying to make it easier to register to vote and vote, which Will sees as a slippery slope toward mandatory voting, which would be bad because "As indifferent or reluctant voters are nagged to the polls—or someday prodded there by a monetary penalty for nonvoting—the caliber of the electorate must decline." Along the way to that concern for the caliber of the electorate, Will quotes longtime bad guy Hans von Spakovsky and cites the example of Nazi Germany. Which should tell you pretty much all you need to know about this argument."

Opinions are like assholes and everyone has one, including me and frankly, I see it as a beautiful thing when people can debate without anger. So here's my argument in favor of mandated voting.

1. Free Speech.

I see voting more as a civic duty. We all live in this country and we owe it to each other as a national community to do what’s best for everyone. There are rules in place in school, your job and other organized groups. We accept these rules because we understand that when left to our own devices and lack of motivation, anarchy can ensue.

2. Dictatorship.

Right now, if you are called to jury duty, you have to go. Period. If you want to drive a car, the law says you need a license and requires a test that you must pass in order to drive. You have to pay taxes. Do you feel that this is a dictatorship? I don’t.

It would be quite easy to enforce mandated voting. Provide proof of voting when you pay your taxes. If not, pay a $50 fine. Those who wish not to vote—but insist on bitching about what the ELECTED officials do— would be contributing rather than just complaining about the state of things. I have heard some agrue that $50 is a lot of money for people who have low income. My answer - vote and save the $50.

44% of Americans DID NOT VOTE in 2008. Think of how much money could go back into the economy from people who choose to not vote and pay the fine. The money should be regulated to the benefit of our nation. Education, health care, infrastructure etc. and not go to gold toilet seats in the White House. In other words, rules in place so the money is not abused.

For those who complain about having to vote the lesser of two evils, consider this: You may not like your choices for president but one of them WILL win. The one who wins nominates Supreme Court Judges. These judges have a direct impact on your life. By giving up the right to vote, you throw away your shot at having any say in the rules you will be required by law to follow, as well as decisions like the 2000 election. SCOTUS decided George Bush was president.
 

The flaw: People may vote in order to avoid the fine but remain uneducated about the politicians and their policies. This happens anyway. Granted, there may be more uneducated people who vote but it also might make more people choose to actually understand what’s really on the table. And for the ones who choose not to vote, let them contribute instead of only whining about what terrible system we have.

No system is perfect and we already have too many flaws. Anything we do will come with problems and hopefully, as we see what those problems are, we can work to fix them in a way where everyone benefits.

I like to think of it this way: If you were a business owner and you needed to fill a position that pays $100k a year, vacation pay and health care, wouldn’t YOU want to be the one in charge of hiring?  It’s YOUR company. (I realize that bigger companies have managers who hire but they have been vetted by the higher-ups to make the “informed” decision so that the most qualified applicants be considered seriously.)

We are the ones paying the politicians. We allow them to collect healthy pensions. We allow them to create laws that we must live by. I believe it’s our civic duty to participate in employing those who will be our civil servants.
 

So there you have it. If there are holes in my argument, bring it. I am genuinely curious to know what you think.

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