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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: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2015, @03:45PM
Only when that "speech" is money. You don't see anybody protesting the "free speech zones" [wikipedia.org] which literally restrict where "freedom of speech" exists.
(Score: 2) by Anal Pumpernickel on Sunday March 22 2015, @07:42PM
Nor do you see many people protesting the FCC's censorship of 'profanity', which is a blatant violation of the first amendment (that courts love to modify with invisible ink to give the government more power). Nor do you see many people protesting copyright laws which necessarily require censorship (perhaps of websites, for example) in order to enforce. Nor do you see people protesting other kinds of obscenity laws. There are many things that are ignored by the masses, and yet affect our fundamental liberties. Good luck getting the majority to care about those.