SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
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.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Sunday March 22 2015, @12:58PM
others say that freedom also means the freedom not to do something.
You have to join a church, but you have freedumb, you can join any prosperity gospel evang christian church you'd like. Just as long as its one of them.
Another interesting problem is I missed an election once for being at a work emergency from before the polls opened to after they closed. I live in a highly gerrymandered district so obviously it doesn't matter if I vote. Mostly I was pissed off at working conditions LOL more so than missing the chance to cast a meaningless vote.
Why the polls can't be open for a month at city hall or every police or fire dept or library is a mystery.
And if I recall correctly my grandmother was unconscious getting a bypass for an entire election once (presumably her cardiologist knew ahead of time that he'd be working on someone, but she had no idea). She'd be pretty pissed off at going to prison as a felon after she recovered. If there are any laws of politics, the first would be you don't want to piss off grannies. "You're getting a bypass tomorrow" "but tomorrow is election day" "well you aren't going to be able to vote so hope you enjoy PMITA prison after you recover and get sent to jail" ".... crickets ..."
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2015, @01:06PM
> Why the polls can't be open for a month at city hall or every police or fire dept or library is a mystery.
Suppression of poor voters. In recent years such early voting periods have been reduced and its universally been republicans behind the reductions. Poor people can't take time off from their jobs, often have to take public transportation which often doesn't run on weekends and much outside working hours on weekdays. Georgia is one example. [msnbc.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2015, @02:22PM
Forgive my ignorance about the USA but aren't election days supposed to be public holidays? Around here they are, and parties often bus people around for free. Emergency services vote on a different day and employers keeping anyone else from voting is a serious crime.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Sunday March 22 2015, @02:44PM
That would be nice. What we get instead is businesses being required to allow employees to take two(?) hours of leave on election day.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2015, @02:57PM
> What we get instead is businesses being required to allow employees to take two(?) hours of leave on election day.
Even that is optimistic.
The laws vary by state, many of them have enough loopholes to essentially cancel out any requirement for time off. [nolo.com]
(Score: 2) by VLM on Sunday March 22 2015, @03:07PM
Employee must request leave in advance: “Before election day.”
In my real world example, lightning literally didn't strike until election day. What a mess that was.
Also being salaried I don't need the law to walk off the job and vote, although I would have been walking into an unemployment line after of course had I done so.
Finally I was having a typical good day until lunchtime or so lightning storm, so being permitted to vote at 8am would have been nice but I felt it unnecessary at the time.
(Score: 1) by TK-421 on Monday March 23 2015, @04:15PM
Oh for crying out loud, not this crap!
If you want to vote, you WILL vote! Have you ever worked an election? Right, didn't think so! If you had you would know that people line up before the polls open and they line up to get in the "chute" (look it up!) before they close. The ones who really want it will do it in the rain, snow, and cold.
If you are poor and have no transportation, you can vote absentee by mail. Can't be bothered to walk out to your mailbox? No problem the call the election board and they will bring the damned ballot to your door and let you vote right in your home.
The only "cost" of voting is you have to actually take a few minutes to request it and do it. If you have no job then I suspect you will be available any time the election board says they are available to come to your house. If you work three jobs then you have got to have $0.50 cents to mail the letter that requests an absentee ballot be mailed to your residence prior to the election, you will certainly already have the necessary excuse for qualifying for absentee. Don't like the USPS and you work 90 hours M-F? No sweat come into the government center(s) on the weekend and vote early.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 23 2015, @07:16PM
I want to mod this "Informative" but I'm unable to verify that such programs (like the voting board coming to your house to let you vote) are real. There are also many places that won't allow early voting, or on the weekend, and/or put restrictions on allowing absentee voting, etc (many of which are Republican-ran areas - coincidence?). Voter suppression efforts are a very real threat and involving removing those other options of which you speak, in addition to ensuring that nobody even knows such options exist in the first place.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 25 2015, @02:46AM
Fair enough. Each of the programs I mentioned absolutely exist for my county an they are consistent with offerings of other counties in my state. We are a red state and the controlling party gets to decide how to carry out the voting process WRT going above and beyond. I vote early every time because I am always working the polls on election day. Early voting is open at the government center two weeks prior to election day. Early voting can be done M-S, only Sunday is unavailable.
I always have absentee ballots that I have to count as an inspector and some of these even arrive in the PM of election day. Absentee ballots can be mailed.
I never served on our traveling board but we have been using it for over a decade. Mostly senior citizens unable to travel take advantage of it.
In addition to being a red state we also require picture ID. If the state didn't offer a free ID, and it didn't have the travel board, if it didn't allow early voting, and it didn't allow absentee mail voting I would be concerned about some people not having an honest opportunity to vote as well. As it is now, I honestly fail to see why anyone would have an excuse not to vote.
(Score: 2, Informative) by caffeinated bacon on Sunday March 22 2015, @02:38PM
You're just trolling.
It's a small fine for not voting, and if you have a reasonable excuse, then a simple warning of 'be more careful next time' will suffice...
(Score: 1) by TK-421 on Monday March 23 2015, @04:19PM
They are, at least a couple weeks prior to the election. See my post to AC further down in the thread.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 23 2015, @07:19PM
Not everywhere. [jsonline.com] And this is just the first example I found.