Who knew? Australia requires people to vote!

[CloudWatcher]

Not only is voting compulsory, it seems to have a lot of benefits. Here's a BBC video on it:

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-australia-61186402

Of course there is no chance of us doing this nation-wide, but ... maybe a good idea in the blue states?
As pushback to the GOP trying to restrict voting?

The video is short, but fyi the bullet points for advantages are:

* Moderate contest more likely
* Marginalized people better represented
* More migrant participation

I like the idea because it helps put across the idea that good government is up to you. You can't just ignore it and then complain.

[brooklynite]

1. I've known that for decades. Many nations do.

Simple question. Do you want completely disengaged American citizens to be forced to vote?

[CloudWatcher]

4. What better way to get people to become engaged?

None of the bigger countries that the US is most similar to have compulsory voting.

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-with-mandatory-voting.html

[2naSalit]

2. I did.

Known it for a long time.

[ripcord]

3. I don't like this idea

Just as you have the right to vote you have the right not to vote.

[CloudWatcher]

5. We can disagree

But I think just like taxes, you have an obligation to pay attention and vote.

[EX500rider]

8. Except many are going to not pay attention but still vote if made to. nt

[Raine]

13. That's the way I feel too. If s person isn't interested or care enough to vote

they might just vote for anything or anyone because voting is required.

[drmeow]

20. You can leave your ballot blank

But you have to submit a ballot.

[Midwestern Democrat]

23. Agreed - in fact, this idea is such an appalling infringement on personal liberty that I would vote

out of office every single person who played a part in implementing it.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

6. I have known about this for a long time.

I sort of hope that My Son The Astronomer finds an astronomy job in Australia, and I can follow him there.

[CloudWatcher]

7. National boundaries

I wish we could all have an easier time moving (and working) in other countries. It would be good for everyone for people to really understand that there are other ways of doing things ... some better, some worse.

Hope you and your son are able to move down under! I have hopes of retiring there someday

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

15. Yes. At this point I have no idea what it might be possible.

It is far too soon to know what might happen. But yes, I hope things will work out well for us.

[Ohio Joe]

9. I would have no problem requiring people to vote...

I'm in Colorado and the state makes it soooo easy to vote. According to this article:

More than 3.3 million ballots had been processed by state election officials through Thursday and the tally is expected to grow as remaining ballots are processed and counted. That represents 78% of registered voters. In 2016, 2.9 million voters cast ballots, or 74% of those registered, according to state figures.

https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2020/11/06/colorado-among-states-highest-voter-turnout/6191489002/

We have a decent turnout here compared to a lot of places but really... I think everyone should vote.

[momta]

10. I'm in Colorado, too

And I completely concur with Ohio Joe. CO makes it very easy, and still manages to catch crooked county clerks who want to muck up the system

[betsuni]

11. I used to be a member of an online group with an Australian member who complained

about being required to vote and constantly whined about the Australian health care system.

Was ironic because she hated America and Americans but if she were American she'd definitely be a right-wing nut and fit right in (believed Sandy Hook and London terrorist attacks were fake, marijuana is a dangerously addicting hard drug, Obama wasn't born in America, black helicopters hovered over her house in the middle of the night -- all the nutty things).

[canetoad]

16. I think I know her

Lives down the street.

[betsuni]

17. Did you ever see the black helicopters?

There were aliens dropping in to visit, too. One would think the neighbors would notice something once in a while.

[Bucky]

12. I knew this. But I'm a government teacher. I think it's a bad idea

Citizens should have the right to not vote.

[myccrider]

27. Then don't fill out the ballot, put in the mail or the box blank.

You’ve exercised your right to not vote and also expressed your opinion about it!

[Eureka]

14. It's more like mandatory attendance, if you don't fill in the paper vote properly it doesn't count

so if you don't care you could write "don't care" on the ticket, drop it in the slot and move on. (or just write nothing, but courtesy suggests putting a vote in the box)

BUT our voting seems smooth in comparison from what I read about in the US, I've never waited more than 10 mins in my 30+ years of voting, and there is always a sausage sizzle (democracy sausage) and cake stall to ease the inconvenience. And it's always on a Saturday and you can pre-vote or postal vote.

Also, we have proportional/preferential/instant runoff voting. This might sound like a bit of a pain, but it really moderates the candidates because there are two major parties (Liberal - the right wing and Labour - the left) and they take on positions of minor parties (and the Greens, the next biggest after the two) in order to get their preference votes. I think this pushes us overall towards the middle.

[myccrider]

28. I'd like to see preferential voting, too!

I’d hope it would push USian politicians to be more moderate, but that kind of voting would make elections more accurately reflect the opinions and wants of the electorate.

[AnyFunctioningAdult]

18. And if someone refuses?

Do they pay a fine? Do they go to jail until they do? Not in favor of this at all. Wait until this exists and the party in power says anyone who did not cast a vote therefore voted not to change things by not voting.

[A HERETIC I AM]

19. It's the equivalent of a traffic or parking ticket.

Fines start at $20AUS.

https://www.elections.wa.gov.au/vote/failure-vote

[AnyFunctioningAdult]

29. Ah, so meaningless it is then

[A HERETIC I AM]

30. It's apparently enough of an incentive to get people to vote.

I lived in Alice Springs in the 70’s and this program was in place back then.

No one seemed to mind and most people voted.

[myccrider]

21. I've known for years...

and wish there was snowball’s chance it could be implemented in the US.

1) It would remove the whole "suppress the vote" motive/expense. More time, effort and money could be spent educating and selling policy to voters instead of just striving to convince them to show up.

2) It would greatly reduce efforts to make voting more difficult because, since every one votes, any politician closing polling places, registration shenanigans, reducing access to mail voting and all the other ways to make voting painful would irritate everyone and probably reduce their electability. In fact, making voting mandatory would likely create huge pressure to make it as easy as possible!

3) I’d suggest an opt-out option on each ballot, maybe for each race/proposition that let’s those who don’t want to vote to choose "no" on voting. OTOH, if you have to vote anyway, I’d bet more people would pay attention to at least some races and issues.

4) The whole "do you really want to force people who don’t want to vote?" is profoundly anti-democratic. The point is to have "all the people" participate in the franchise, not a contest to see who can mobilize the most for their tribe. I reject the whole argument. Many people don’t vote because it’s difficult or they’re cynical about democracy or a huge variety of reasons. As someone else said, we don’t like taxes but we all are required to participate. Especially by adding an opt-out of some sort and universal mail-in voting, those who really, really don’t want to "bother" can just check that box, sign the form and be done.

5) If everyone votes there is less room for claims of voter fraud (not that that wouldn’t still be a thing for the RW). If the number of votes matches closely enough to the number of adults, a lot of extra votes would stand out, making it harder to float those claims.

There’s a few other positives I see with it, but these are my main reasons for liking the idea.

[CloudWatcher]

22. Yes!

I think a lot more people would pay attention if they realized that they would at least be going through the motions of voting.

It's not like you are required to vote on any particular race/measure .. if you don't have an opinion you can just show up and turn in an unmarked ballot.

And politicians ... of both parties .. would be motivated to make voting as easy as possible.

I think a lot of people would complain, but that it would be really good in the end.

[myccrider]

26. We're on the same page. 😉

Look at Washington state. Having all mail-in voting has boosted participation to better than 80%, iirc. That just shows that more people want to vote than many thought. Making it mandatory would rope in the other 20ish%.

I don’t think this would be a total panacea or anything but it sure would change the focus and fight from suppressing registration and vote access to talking about the issues. Propaganda and disinformation wouldn’t go away, we’d just have more time and money to fight it.

There are cons (more money spent on printing ballots, info and processing votes; more gov info on individuals, as all would have to give an address; questions of multiple addresses leading to multiple voting; irritating some percentage of citizens, initially, by making it a mandate,…). I don’t think they come anywhere near outweighing the pros.

[former9thward]

24. It would be unconstitutional in this country.

We have a first amendment. Australia and other countries do not have it or an equivalent. We have a freedom of expression through the first amendment and not voting is part of that freedom.

[CloudWatcher]

25. I can't connect those dots!

Thank god I'm not a lawyer, but I don't see how requiring someone to participate in an election violates their first amendment right to free speech.

As Eureka pointed out, it's more like "mandatory attendance".

You wouldn't even actually have to vote, just show up and be counted and vote (or not) on whatever races you want. Or in states like Colorado, mail in your ballot.

It's still a secret election, and who/what you vote for (or don't vote for) is up to you.

But I'm quite aware that our legal system often makes no sense, so perhaps there's a way to twist the first amendment right of free expression into a ban of requiring voters to participate in elections.

I'm still convinced this would be a win (if we could ever get it passed).