The Consequences of Compulsory Voting in America

29 October 2014Morgan MullenTX GovernmentGOVT-2306-345

The topic of compulsory voting is more of an ethical issue than a political one. One of the biggest issues facing our democracy today is the problem of low voter turnout, and it is clear that making voting mandatory would certainly help to increase the amount of citizen input during elections. Mandatory voting, however, infringes on Americans' widely-held belief that being 'free' includes their right to chose when and how they wish to participate in the country's politics. If this were only an issue of politics, the best option here would be clear. Instead, the most complicated part of the solution includes threatening American's highly-valued freedom to choose whether to vote or not.It is often said that voting is central to democracy, and as essential of a civic duty as paying taxes or serving on a jury (Galston, 2014). One of the arguments for compulsory voting is that if more people vote, the country has a more accurate representation of the citizen's wishes. Compulsory voting ensures that every demographic is equally represented and the needs of the nation as a whole are met. (Coyne, 2014). However, people who have only a vague picture of the different candidates' and their policies may feel pressured to vote anyway, and could cast a vote that doesn't accurately reflect their own desires for the country (Johns, 1998). This could lead to more candidates relying heavily on name recognition to win votes, rather than on their support of policies that could benefit the nation. Because of this, we may only see the most charismatic candidates being elected, rather than those most qualified.As a free country, people should have the right to choose whether to vote or not. Although this may allow for low voter turnout, it may also mean that the people who do vote have thoroughly educated themselves concerning the candidates up for election, as suggested by an essay submitted to OnlineEssays.com. The low voter turnout may also be explained by the belief held by so many Americans that their individual vote doesn't matter, since ultimately their votes are simply clumped into electoral votes, rendering their personal vote virtually meaningless. Although it may require a re-evaluation of the election system, it may drastically improve voter turnout if citizens felt as if their vote truly meant that their individual voice counted towards a larger tally that had a direct influence on who would win the election.

Works Cited

Coyne, Andrew. "Like Jury Duty or Paying Your Taxes, Voting Should Be Mandatory."National Post. Postmedia Network Inc., 14 May 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.

Galston, William A. "Telling Americans to Vote, or Else."The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Nov. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.

"Is Compulsory Voting Justified?"London School of Economics and Political Science. London School of Economics and Political Science, 21 Aug. 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.

Johns, Gary. "Does Compulsory Voting Distort Electoral Outcomes?" (1998): 367-72. Print.

"Why Compulsory Voting Is Wrong."OnlineEssays.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2014. .