Read the opposing arguments. Making Voting Mandatory
One doesn't need to listen to politicians long before hearing that age-old phrase, "I want your vote." of course, no politician, at least at the
state and national level. gets everyone's vote. In fact, most elections are won by the candidate that gets more votes than anyone else. However,
this usually turns out to be considerably fewer than a majority of the people the candidate actually represents.
This happens because, as a general rule, only about half the citizens eligible to vote actually get around to voting. Despite efforts by
officials to allow early voting and absentee voting, most of the no-shows can be attributed to voter apathy, laziness, or ignorance of the issues.
Making voting mandatory would, over time, diminish the effect of these bad excuses and ensure us all of a more representative
government. To make the voting process easier, provide a greater window, say ten days, for voting, and the inconvenience is reduced to nearly
nothing. Provide a box on the ballot labeled "No acceptable candidate" in order to avoid forcing someone to vote for the lesser of two-or three or
four-evils. The win
winner, of course, would be what we have now, the top vote getter from among those receiving votes. Over time, however, people
would tire of selecting the
the default, and would make themselves better acquainted with the candidates and their issues.
Some would argue against this proposal on the grounds that forcing evefyone to the polls would not work. Well, filing income tax is
mandatory, and nearly everyone complies. Further, I would point to the many instances around the globe where mandatory voting is established
and working
On which issue do the authors most disagree?
O 1.
the importance of voting
O 2. the value of high voter turnout
O 3. the appeal of politicians to the voters
O 4. the inconvenience of the voting process