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

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.

Comments

If congress weren't dead locked...

[Karmashock]

This guy would be just be pathetic... He goes from one insanely controversial idea to the next without really bothering to explain or justify any of it. I mean seriously, imagine if congress weren't deadlocked... this guy would be the biggest lame duck president... ever.

The whole situation is bizarre. It is like congress took its gun out of its desk, stuck it in its mouth, and blew raspberry jam all over the walls... and then the president decided to eat a fist full of brand new recreational drugs... we'll call it mindfuck. And while that's going on the judiciary is more interested in its weekly bingo and bridge games to really concern itself with the situation.

It is as if every single branch has succumbed to their inherent weaknesses at the same time.

USSR Law

[Spazmania]

The "turnout requirement" where an election had to be done over if voters failed to show up originated in the USSR. There was only one candidate on the ballot, but if you failed to turn out and vote for him you could get yourself and your neighbors in hot water.

Mandatory voting is not a sign of democracy and freedom. Quite the opposite.