Why doesn't the government advertise on the responsibility to vote?

[gulliver]

The federal government buys ads to fight drug abuse and to recruit military personnel. They do direct mailings to inform voters of a lot of things. Why don't they do a national ad campaign to encourage voters to fulfill their responsibility to vote? I imagine the Republicans would freak out, of course, because they would see it as the Dems trying to encourage their base. But who cares what the Republicans think? Most of them don't even care what they think (or they wouldn't think what they do).

[Ozymanithrax]

1. Because they do not want everyone to vote...

only the partisan warriors on one side or the other.

I favor mandatory voting, punished by a $900.00 fine paid via taxes.

[gulliver]

2. I agree. Voting should be compulsory, like in Australia.

If people had to vote, then they would pay more attention to the news and ads. They would be more open to changes in the voting process like instant run-off.

[cleanhippie]

3. Exactly. No matter who is in charge, they do NOT want the general poulation to vote.

It would make it much harder to game the system if everyone voted (and had their vote counted).

[kenny blankenship]

4. Government wants as little interference from you people as possible.

Ads to promote voting??? Furthest thing from their minds.

[Speck Tater]

5. If people who don't care one way or the other vote at random, they all average each other out

and it's the same as if they hadn't voted at all.

It's pointless to force people to do something they have no interest in doing. In the end the apathetic will get the government they deserve.

[Better Today]

6. First, please spend on making sure elections are accurate, safe, and verifiable.

Until then, it's not like our vote is sure to count. Seems the money would be better spent not just on assuring a system of accurate, verifiable voting, but to also assure states and localities are offering smooth voting experience for all voters, not like some of the areas where the rich whites get dozens of convenient voting stations and the poorer areas and student areas get one or two, making lines long and troublesome for poorer folks who don't have jobs where they can just pop out and stand in line all day to vote.