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: 5, Insightful) by hemocyanin on Sunday March 22 2015, @03:54PM
The constitution trumps executive orders and statutes ... in theory. In actual everyday usage? Not so much.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2015, @06:12PM
When there is ambiguity it will be exploited. That is human nature, maybe even just plain old nature.
But the 22nd amendment is starkly clear: "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2015, @11:44PM
Easy hack: "postpone" future presidential elections indefinitely.
Not that I believe the problem lies at the presidential level - the root problem seems to be generations of people that forgot about freedom and instead see government as a club used to bludgeon other people they don't like.