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 shortscreen on Sunday March 22 2015, @07:54PM
Instead of going the authoritarian route, they could make election day a holiday so that students and working people had more time to vote.
They could also STOP doing the other shit they've been doing, like eliminating polling stations, cutting the hours, and piling on voter ID requirements to deliberately discourage voting.
In the end I don't think it would make much difference though, as long as voters are still willing to go along with the two-party false dichotomy perpetuated by corporate media.
(Score: 1) by TK-421 on Monday March 23 2015, @04:46PM
Why does anyone need a holiday? If you are a college student you most likely are not living in your registered voting center and you likely don't have access to transportation to get you there. As a student you have access to voting absentee just like anybody else. All you need is a phone or a first class stamp, something the poor and students can obtain with enough effort.
The hours are the same EVERY SINGLE TIME. I have been working elections for over a decade, 6-6 is, and and always will be the voting time block, no change there. Cutting polling stations, yeah that can cause some inconvenience, but it can save money which is something I like in a government employee. Too many people in a single poll is bad because no one wants to wait two hours in line to vote so I get it that this one isn't clear cut. If a polling location is deemed to be superfluous then it should be cut. If cutting it causes genuine inconvenience then you are again welcome to vote early or absentee. You have options.
As for voting requirements, I am curious to know what you think is excessive. If you possess a drivers license, have registered to vote, and you belong in my polling place (on the books as we say) then you will vote in my polling place. If you can't afford a car/ or automotive insurance, or whatever, then you are entitled to a free government ID which is acceptable for voting purposes. Just make sure you don't lose that free ID because the next one within 5 years will cost you a whopping $5 USD.
I stubbornly still believe that voting is always productive. As for two-parties, I think more parties in participation would be a great thing.
(Score: 2) by shortscreen on Tuesday March 24 2015, @04:44AM
Personally, I've never had a problem voting. But I know that in other states the ACLU has filed lawsuits to block legislation on the grounds that it would prevent eligible voters from doing so. This suggests that there are people out there who would vote if certain obstacles were removed. Meanwhile we have someone talking about making it mandatory. This makes no sense. They want to use the stick when they haven't even tried the carrot.