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Obama: Maybe It's Time For Mandatory Voting In US

Posted by timothy on from the if-there-weren't-all-those-pesky-rights dept.

HughPickens.com writes CNN reports that when asked how to offset the influence of big money in politics, President Barack Obama suggested it's time to make voting a requirement. "Other countries have mandatory voting," said Obama "It would be transformative if everybody voted — that would counteract money more than anything," he said, adding it was the first time he had shared the idea publicly. "The people who tend not to vote are young, they're lower income, they're skewed more heavily towards immigrant groups and minority groups. There's a reason why some folks try to keep them away from the polls." At least 26 countries have compulsory voting, according to the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Failure to vote is punishable by a fine in countries such as Australia and Belgium; if you fail to pay your fine in Belgium, you could go to prison. Less than 37% of eligible voters actually voted in the 2014 midterm elections, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts. That means about 144 million Americans — more than the population of Russia — skipped out. Critics of mandatory voting have questioned the practicality of passing and enforcing such a requirement; others say that freedom also means the freedom not to do something.

3 of 1,089 comments (clear)

  1. Yet another reminder that Fascism is liberal by SuperKendall · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    As if we needed any more reminders that Fascism comes from liberal ideologues...

    Remember if they think there's one thing they think it's a good idea to have government force everyone to do, they have a hundred more topics they are having the same thoughts about, just not talking publicly.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  2. Re:Then ID would be required by ncc74656 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    What if someone doesn't want to pay a fine for simply existing?

    The Supreme Court has already mooted that question with its 0bama(Doesn't)Care decision. :-P

    --
    20 January 2017: the End of an Error.
  3. Re:Mandatory doesn't sound all bad to me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    "Both sides are the same" bullshit, aka induced voter apathy is a time-honored conservative tactic. It's literally FUD.

    See also:
    Race baiting
    Voter disenfranchisement (Jim Crow 2.0 laws)
    Gerrymandering
    Religious pandering