Do you think that voting in presidential elections should be made compulsory for US citizens?

Question

Do you believe that it would be beneficial to the US nation and government to make voting compulsory, as is the case in other countries such as Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Ecuador, Greece, Switzerland, and Belgium?

The benefits of compulsory voting include greater accountability of government bodies to the people as well as better expressing the majority beliefs and desires of the state.

A negative facet of compulsory voting, however, is the somewhat diluted version of democracy that occurs due to the people's right to choose whether to vote being revoked.

In light of these facts, do you believe that the USA, being the most influential government entity in the world to date, should adopt a policy of compulsory voting for all eligible citizens in presidential elections, given that the presidency is a position awarded a great deal of power on both the national and world stages?

Answer 1

I haven't decided yet.  I'm still weighing it.  Have been for about six months now.  For instance, how many more would we have in jail, or even more broke from fines?  How many illiterates?  How many cynics who couldn't care less who wins?  How many finding comparable escapes, like Swiss bank accounts is to corporate excapes?  How many more police or process servers would we need?

    

The question might be, how do we engage apathetic cynics.

Answer 2

I don't know why we push voting over there and run and allow elections to be controlled as they are over here. No I don't understand it.

Answer 3

I might consider it when they incorporate a "None of the Above" option on the ballot.

Answer 4

So don't call it DEMOCRACY

Answer 5

Absolutely not. That is not democracy, itis allowing your country to become a nanny state. Saying that I do think that everybody should turn out on election day even if they do not wish to vote. Spoiling your vote is louder then not voting at all.

Answer 6

NO!!!!! Compulsory voting for all U.S. citizen enforced by the government would not advance democratic goals and objectives. Government enforce ment of voting will lead to government intimidation and government encouragement to vote for specified candidates.

Every effort should be made to provide every citizen the opportunity to vote once in any given election.

Before the upcoming Presidential Election, I feel there must be enacted in the Congress a plan to provide  23 hours and 59 minutes of voting time on Election Day. A plan effected so that clocks are adjusted so that all the polls close at the same moment in all 50 states!!!!!

Answer 7

Yes, it should be. All the people, should be made responsible for its government ! It's time to get the "couch potatoes" out of their homes and make them realize, we all, have to make changes so the young generations, don't suffer from our mistakes !

Answer 8

Voting is a right,, the same right is not to vote,,, if you so wish,

Answer 9

yes it would be good to get people out to vote...and in australia if you don't vote you get a fine....a good income producer.

Answer 10

No... but I think it should be compulsory that if you are going to vote you must be educated on the positions of the candidate... not voting  based on the color of someones skin, s*x or that they are republican or democrate....  know where they stand on the issues.... that would be novel.

Answer 11

No because I believe that you can make a statement by the act of NOT voting.

There is a level of freedom of speech in the US that Europe and South American does not rise to.

It is a good thing.

Answer 12

My question to you is two-fold.

1.  How would you enforce such a law?   Force people at gunpoint to the polls?

2.  Once there, the recalcitrant voter would just pull the lever on whomever was the first in the ballot, negating any kind of accurate voting.

No, it has to be voluntary or it just doesn't work.

Answer 13

It is amazingly irresponsible to vote without a full understanding of the issues and the views of a candidate on the issues.

We are getting a perfect example of irresponsible voting in the current election.

Answer 14

this is a country that let's people make their own choices ......land of the free let's keep it that way thank you very much !!!