Should the United States Practice Compulsory Voting?

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I believe that if you did not vote in the elections you have no reason or right to complain. There are many Americans who complain, yet they do not vote. I wonder how differently elections would work out with higher voter turn-out. I think we all wonder about that. The problem with that is that there is no way to get everyone to the polls short of compulsory voting. Some countries do this, but we do not. What would happen if compulsory voting came to the United States?

A conversation with a friend got me thinking about this. We were talking about how some people get heated to the point of name calling and low blows when political issues come up. We wondered what would happen if everyone in our country could muster up this type of passion, and take it to the polls each election to be heard in a way that matters. It seems that there is a lot of disinterest in some people, but others are willing to rip each other to shreds over the tiniest issues. This was when I brought up the topic of compulsory voting.

When I was younger I did not vote, even though I registered. I didn't care, and I didn't think my vote mattered. That changed around age 28 for me. I don't know what happened to me then, but suddenly it seemed very important to me that I start to vote. My first trip to the polls was a little intimidating, but I knew I was doing something important. I was one of the few people in my circle of friends, and even in my extended family, voting that year.

I hear many of these non-voters complaining about what is going on with in the United States, and I am baffled by this. If they cared that much, they should have gone out and voted. Many argue that voting is a right not a responsibility, and there might be some truth in that. However, how can you complain when you didn't do anything to rectify the situation? You may vote, and your candidate of choice may still lose, but at least then you have earned the right to complain.

After thinking about this for a while, I had a conversation with a friend from Australia. She told me their voting system is a little different from ours, as they are one of the countries that practices compulsory voting. All citizens of Australia are required to show up at the polls. There are exceptions, of course, but those who choose not to show up must have a valid excuse or pay a fine. Those under 18 are exempt, as are those who are considered mentally unable to vote, and some with criminal convictions cannot vote. Australia has been practicing compulsory voting nationwide since 1924.

Despite the compulsory voting in Australia, some do not vote. They have to show up at the polls, but don't have to do anything with the ballot they are given. As long as they have shown up and had their name marked, they have fulfilled the obligation of compulsory voting. About 95% of Australians show up at the polls. Can you imagine that happening in the United States? In the 2004 elections, only 64% of people who could vote actually showed up to do so. Had the other 36% show up, would we have a different President right now?

Though compulsory voting might mean the elections would be a more accurate reflection of what the people of the United States want, there are draw backs. There are costs associated with tracking down and fining those who did not show up at the polls, or validating their excuses for not appearing. You also run the risk of uninformed voters voting when they have no knowledge of the candidates. That again raises the question voting being a right or a responsibility.

My Australian friend tells me that compulsory voting seems like a good idea in theory, but her feelings are mixed. "Well, it's strangely undemocratic, don't you think?" says Nicky Elliott of Soldiers Point, NSW. "We live in a so-called 'free' society, but this is the one time when every Australian is forced to be at a certain place on a certain day, and to line up and vote for someone they think is the least worst of a bad bunch. If we don't vote, we are fined, and if we don't pay, we can be imprisoned."

I can't imagine many American's would agree to compulsory voting, but stranger things have happened. There are many pros and many cons to it, and I think a major overhaul of the way we vote, and how campaigns are run, might be a better answer. There are some Americans that are worried about fraud, and feel that the electoral college renders individual votes useless. Compulsory voting might not be the answer, but it is something to think about when it comes to how we decide who we want leading our country.