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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 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.