Have you ever been persuaded into voting? Well, you should have your own say on where your opinion goes. Voting is a right that every citizen in America over the age of 18 can do. Many people have become aware of the fact that the number of voters had reached its all time low. But as the newest voting season comes closer, we should still have a voice and the freedom to decide what we do. Which is, take a step against making America a compulsory voting country, because it proves unnecessary and there are other alternatives than mandatory voting. Many people just don't want to waste time on politics because it doesn't affect them as much as others. In the November 23rd, 2015, issue of Junior Scholastic Magazine, Professor Jason Brenna shared …show more content…
Lisa Hill a professor at the University of Adelaide who spreads the yes, in mandatory voting, “If voting were mandatory in the U.S., people would be inspired to pay more attention to campaigns... ” (Junior Scholastic). Many might think their vote doesn't count, so government should express how it does and not make it a unpleasurable activity by making it mandatory. However much, there is truth in that point, an election simplifies down to one person over another other. My point still stands that unwanted force is never good and America should not accept that. It is human nature to show displeasure to forced activities that weren't done by will before hand. It isn't convenient for some citizens, and if registering for voting was much easier that there might be a higher voter turnout (Scholastic Magazine).If the government wants a higher turnout, than people shouldn't be making time for the government, the government should make more time for the people and not stripping us of our freedom. Compulsory voting, is strictly an unruly act that should not be upheld in America. As voting developed throughout the years it has been maintained as a right not a (forced activity). The next election will dwindle down to a few weeks in due time but for that election and the ones to come we should still have a voice and the freedom to decide what
Should America have compulsory voting? In my opinion, compulsory voting is a good way to increase the voting turnout. People currently don't like to vote because they don't have the time, or are just too lazy. If the government gives them an incentive then they will be happy to take time off to vote. Also, a reason to fear not to vote should be installed, like an annoying fine. When only a few people vote, the voter satisfaction is low. But when everyone puts their idea in, the satisfaction rises because the actual majority will win.
Firstly, the idea of compulsory voting that involves every citizen having a civic duty, rather then a right to vote, which has been introduced in over 20 countries worldwide, a good example being Australia. In Australia, the system has been a success, producing an impressive turnout of 94% in the 2013 election, which therefore means that the Australian government will have a much higher level of legitimacy compared to the UK. However, critics of compulsory voting argue that such a system is undemocratic by itself as it does not provide a citizen with a choice on whether to vote or not, resulting in a serious debate around the issue. However, I must agree with the critics of the system, as the people voting because they have to, are likely to be less passionate and well informed about the person they have to
As an American citizen do you think the government should enforce compulsory voting? A country usually needs three things to have a successful compulsory voting system, a national voter registration database, rewards to encourage voters, and punishing non-voters. Should americans be required to vote? There are three reasons why Americans should be required to vote, first, so citizens have interests and political knowledge, second, to increase amount of younger voters and finally, requiring people to vote is the least a citizen can do.
To enforce voting to be mandatory , this will prompt more Americans to pay attention to the choices for their representatives. Mandating would stimulate the demand side, motivating voters to understand and acknowledge who they are voting for. Therefore , voting is to be a responsibility than a option.
Recently, only 60% of registered voters have actually voted in presidential elections. This brings up the question: should Americans be required to vote? This question receives very mixed answers. Many Americans believe that they should have the choice and the freedom to vote or not; many Americans also believe that mandatory, or required, voting is simply a civic duty. Currently, American citizens are not required to vote. Citizens seem to like this system, but because voting is not mandatory, the amount of citizens that vote in elections is rather low. Americans should not be required to vote because it forces people to vote that are uninterested, makes citizens unhappy, and damages other people’s votes.
The most critiqued argument is that mandating voting is just un-American. The con side argues that forcing people to vote violates our freedom of speech. But they don’t feel that the requirement to pay taxes and serve as a jure are unjust. This seems contradictory. The second argument is that requiring all citizens to vote would result in many uninformed and carelessly voters. They continue this argument by stating many people would cast “donkey votes” which are votes for a random candidate because they are required to vote by law. There are many arguments for and against compulsory voting but it comes down to what makes something
There is a way that is already put in use to increase voter turnout in Australia is to make voting mandatory. People in Australia are forced to vote or they will be fined, or even jailed if they do not vote repeatedly. It is very effective in term of improving voter turnout; however, there is still some argument against it. One of them being people would only vote because they have to, so they are ignorantly voting for the candidates just to be done with it. I completely agree with this idea. The voter turnout can be really high, but it would be meaningless if the people just vote to escape from the punishments. Yale Law School Professor Stephen Carter also suggested that, instead of punishing people do not vote, we should reward people who vote. It is the same with the mandatory voting. I think it will only be effective in increasing the voter turnout, but the results will not. People should vote voluntarily for the best and fair outcome. To have more people voting, I believe we should take a look at why people do not vote. We must assure people that if everybody thinks their vote does not count, then no one would vote. We should be able to change their attitude about their own votes. If people cannot vote because they are busy with work or schools, we should have a national day off on the election day. By doing so, much more people will be able to participate in voting. There should also be
... who are eligible of voting should get out there and vote. We fought to expand suffrage, and now we must show the government we are capable of voting.
During the year of 1870, on the 3rd day in the month of February, the 15th amendment was ratified. The 15th amendment prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Basically, giving all United States citizens the equal right to vote. Thousands of brave men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend the United States constitution that holds our rights. Not to mention all the hard work from several people it took to pass congress. So why not make voting mandatory? Mandatory voting will benefit the United States citizens by allowing everyone to exercise their rights, therefore, entitling us to have a say in the electoral process, possibly making a change to improve our country.
In addition, if citizens tend to have a lack of trust in the government, which causes them to conclude that their vote does not matter. If the government forces the issue of mandatory voting, the percentage of voter turnout will increase massively. Also, there will be an accurate reflection of the United States as a whole. Therefore, if voting on the federal level becomes mandatory a national holiday should be declared for the Americans who have work schedules that create conflicting issues with them exercising their right to speak.
The United States of America was founded on freedom. Freedom from the British, freedom of speech and many more. Today, one of America’s many freedoms is the right to or not to vote, and enforcing mandatory voting would infringe on this very freedom. Compulsory voting requires money, encourages politicians to be vague and is unethical. It should not be considered for the United States.
About 13% of countries have compulsory voting laws. This means everyone is required to vote and it is every citizen's responsibility to elect their representatives. Some countries even go as far as to have sanctions for those that don't vote. However most countries believe that voting is a right of citizenship and not a required duty. For the U.S. to enforce compulsory voting laws would be considered unconstitutional and greatly decrease the accuracy of our electoral polls.
Voting is something we should take under consideration for what is the right age to be called an adult. The legal voting age now is 18 but should that still be the correct age ? There are a lot of benefits to voting at the age 16 or 17 like in the community .”Sixteen- and 17-year-old deserve the right to vote on issues that affect them on the local level” (vote 16 USA) .If we don’t have a say in our community while were younger when we get to 18 we’re
Moreover, numerous countries in the world; China, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia, do not offer their citizens such liberal democratic opportunities. For these reasons, I believe as Americans, we should feel indebted and vote, because of our enlightened Founding Fathers; George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, etc. Not only did these great men risk their lives to form this great country, but they are also largely responsible for our generations being able to enjoy these freedoms and privileges. As one could conclude furthermore, voting makes Americans feel increasingly patriotic. Because of these reason, I will continue to advocate for Americans to get registered to vote. Not only do I view voting as a privilege, but I also understand that it’s my patriotic
Voting is important for our country, it's how we choose who is going to lead us. But compared to other countries, not that many people participate. In my opinion, the best way to fix this issue is by lowering the voting age from 18, to 16. Many other countries have done it, so why not ours, too?