Turnout is generally low in America. Political scientists debate whether an increase in voter turnout would have a significant effect on either the outcome of elections or policy change in this country. Others believe voting should be mandatory. Read one man's opinion below and then weigh in with your own!
Vote or Else!
Why haven't we made voting mandatory yet? Is it a constitutional issue or lack of desire to do so?
ReplyDeleteIt was said that in countries with mandatory voting, the turnout was around ninety-five percent. Sure, there's the keyword 'mandatory,' but ninety-five percent? In my opinion, that's how a united nation does it. And so, being the 'United' States of America, why haven't we made voting mandatory yet?
ReplyDeletevoting cannot and should not be mandatory. making voting mandatory makes people vote for a person even if they dont like anyone one the ballet. voting is a choice and so it should be allowed by the voter to not vote.
ReplyDeleteandrew massey
I do not believe that people should be forced to vote. Our freedom comes with a choice to do what we want, and by saying we have to vote our freedom is thrown out the window. Some people may have no interest in voting and that is something they decide. Voter turnout may not even change if more people vote, therefore it should be up to the people.
ReplyDeleteRebekah Hernandez Period 2
FIRST!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI strongly disagree that Americans should be forced to vote for moral and logical reasons. It is wrong morally to force Americans to vote because that will violate their right of liberty. The people should decide if they want to vote or not, because it is their right. Also, voting should just be like it is for the people that want to vote. The reason is that it is those people that care enough about our government to actually register and vote for they want and give us an accurate opinion of the people. If we had people who do not care about the government or those who are ignorant be forced to vote, then voting results will be inaccurate and not reflect the opinion of the people who care.
-Rafael Vaca p.2
Why should people be forced to vote for issues or candidates that they do not even care about? Those who voluntarily vote either feel the civil obligation to do so and/or are passionate about a certain subject matter. Making everybody vote will definitely guarantee a better turnout, but many voters will only participate half-heartedly in the process. They obviously do not care enough about the issues to motivate themselves to go out to the polls or fill out absentee ballots, so why should they go to the trouble of putting careful thought into what they vote for, even if it is mandatory? Ornstein brings up marking “none of the above” as an option, but what would that achieve other than wasting vote counters’ time?
ReplyDeleteHolly Pham, Period 3
Dion Chiu Per 2
ReplyDeleteComing from a country like China, i believe what makes living in the United States so precious is the freedom to do things and not to do them. America's foundation is based on its freedoms, if the government decides to violate that by making it mandatory for states to enforce people to vote. Then thatd defeat the whole purpose in having the freedom to say no. Even if the turnout may look better besides considering if you make someone do something they dont want, they wouldnt really care, at what cost? Our rights? No, that is not worth it to me in speculation.
Personally, I don't believe that compulsory voting would be in the best interest of our nation. Sure, we may have a higher number to boast, but at what costs? Do we really want to promote those unaware or indifferent to policy changes, to vote and affect those of us who do? In Brazil, although there is no forced voting, they encourage and educate the citizens before voting. In my opinion the issue shouldn't be whether or not we should force people to vote, but whether we should bring back the literacy test to an extent; have any registered voter demonstrate sufficient knowledge of legislation and platform of candidates. This is not to separate and target specific individuals but to ensure that those making a change KNOW what change they are making. Ultimately, we cannot and should not mandate that every citizen vote. It violates not only our freedom, but the well-being of out nation. -- Charles Aramayo Period 3
ReplyDeletePattie Santos. P.3
ReplyDeleteI don't think we should force our people to vote. Participation in voting is a good thing but its not something that Congress has the power to make us do. People might vote just because they have to and not realize what they are doing. It's not worth having a higher turnout in exchange for having unaware people affect our laws. Australia may have a 95% participation rate but who knows how much of that is actually sincere and legitimate decision making?
The necessity for a government to have voting is so that for those who CHOOSE, they can show their opinion. voting is a right, and like any right, we reserve the right to exercise it or not. This is like forcing more people to speak, or forcing them to own a gun. Also another problem arises from the fact the in countries that forced people to vote, such as Australia, they marked none of the above, in which case it was unnecessary for them to show up at all. What the polls SHOULD measure, in those countries who make it mandatory, is the number of people who actually voted for something because they wanted to.
ReplyDeleteDavid Kim Period 3
voting should be made mandatory in the United States. First of all, it is just unintelligent to try to get the apathetic people to participate in voting; if they do not care about it at all in the first place, it is unlikely that they will make wise decisions on whom or what to vote for. It requires clear understanding of the issue and careful consideration in order to get legitimate results for an election or poll. Second, the many different ways of political participation is what makes the U.S. stand out from other countries. Voting is not the only way that people can participate; they can get involved through other methods.
ReplyDeleteSpring Chau period 3
Melissa Magana
ReplyDeletePer.2
I don't think Americans should be forced to vote. Isn't America all about freedom? Enhancing this rule and forcing people to vote would be taking away freedom. It is up to the people that actually care about the government and politics to take their time to go and vote. Norman Ornstein mentioned, that even if people go to the polls, people might not even vote for a particular candidate because they might put an X on the ballot for “none of the above.” This proves that voter turnout might not change so therefor Americans shouldn't be forced to vote.
Jenny Kim
ReplyDeleteP.3
I disagree with mandatory voting, even though it will raise the voting percentage. I believe that there is more meaning to polls when people decide to vote. When people are forced, they might put a random vote because some people do not care; therefore, will mess up the polls even more than before. I think putting fines on not voting is better. It still will increase the voting percentage but will not be forced upon anyone, it's up to the individual to decide to pay a fine or vote.
Voting should NEVER be made mandatory, especially in a country like the United States. To me, it's not a matter of freedoms and rights as much as it's a matter of what the outcome would be. Those who do not vote are apathetic and/or ill-informed about legislation and candidates. Heck, even many of our voters are ill-informed. In fact, I agree with Charles in that we should have some sort of quiz, testing the basics of the legislation/candidates that a citizen is voting for in order to guarantee that they know what they are casting their votes for. I do, however, feel that registration should be automatically done for all citizens by the government. That would encourage more voter turnout for those who are just busy or lazy.
ReplyDeleteChristina Huang
Period 3
Mohnia Husson P2
ReplyDeleteI think it is wrong for any government to require ALL citizens to do anything period, and that would definitely include voting. If these citizens do not care to vote, that demonstrates their lack of opinion or information which ultimately, would not correctly reflect the overall opinion of those who do have a say in our government.
I agree with Charles about requiring some sort of test for voters in order to rule out those who are not really able to deliver a clear and informed opinion as that only hurts the progress of our government.
Jewel Curameng from period 3 was here...
ReplyDeleteCompulsory voting.
Compulsory voting..
Compulsory voting...
What are you crazy?! I do not believe voter turnout is certainly something worth making mandatory. Leave voting to the citizens who voluntarily vote, and vote with a good sense of what they are voting for. If voting was made compulsory then what about the people who have no idea about politics? (Cough jewel cough) I don't believe our legislature or our politicians or even the citizens would appreciate the results of our voting leading to diluted legislation. If politicians want more voter turnout, I suggest that they start paying attention to topics that are relevant. They should concern themselves with their party effectiveness instead of voter turnout, because voter turnout is an effect, not a cause. They're the result. Not the hypothesis. So congress shouldn't propose to compromise our liberties, they should try looking at why we're not turning up to vote for them.
Sireena Sy
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
Voting should not be mandatory for all citizens. Increasing voter turnout does not necessarily change the election results and even if it did affect results, it may be for the worse. People who do not vote now most likely have their reasons for doing so and why would we want those uneducated or apathetic about political matters to vote for the future of our country? If forced to vote, these citizens may simply corrupt election results or vote randomly. The few citizens that vote now, make a conscious and hopefully informative decision to vote and the results will be more accurate than any forced voting will lead to. However, we as a society must actively encourage voting as a positive, useful, and easy duty that all citizens should perform. We should work towards increasing voter turnout by making voting a societal norm like Australia because high voter turnout is important. Fines, and compulsory voting would only violate the rights of citizens.
Voting in my opinion should not be something that is forced to do or else there would be consequences. A big part of this country is the freedom citizens are given leaving them the choice of what to do and not do. If voting is made mandatory, then many people would be forced to vote for candidates they dont agree with leaving no option. In this case to make someone vote would not be the best choice because people who feel forced to vote will just choose any candidate without caring much making the election part non real as to what people want. Cristian Salas P.2
ReplyDeleteFelix Maya per.3
ReplyDeletei dont believe voting should be made mandatory,like in other countries. yes more people will be voting but not everyone will be sincere with their choice. for example like it said in the article, in Australia their is a fine if you do not vote or you are asked why you did not vote. so no votng should not be made mandatory.
Victoria Garcia:
ReplyDeleteYes, Americans should be forced to vote. Yeah, freedom, liberty, blah is there but we do so many things that disturb that freedom that being made to vote wouldn't be that big of a deal. There's way worse things to be forced to do. Americans talk about how we need to do this or that when they aren't doing anything besides campaigning about it. Well, unfortunately, campaigning isn't going to solve all the problems. If you really want your opinion to matter VOTE ON IT. It's ridiculous how many people get upset over the outcome of events when they didn't do anything to change it. Everyone has the equal opportunity to vote, they just need to get off their lazy butts, turn off the t.v. and vote. Yeah, sure it takes the extra time to drive some place to vote but really, I'm sure each and every one of us can spare half hour of their life voting. The t.v. can wait (there will be reruns) but voting can't. Want a higher voter turnout? MAKE THEM VOTE.
Kamal Andrawis
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
I believe that voting should be mandatory in the United States just like it is in other countries around the world such as Australia and Austria. If everyone voted, the turnout may be the same, but at least we will know that the polls are much more accurate. I also believe that no one should need to register to vote. You should just be able to go and vote on the day of the election without worrying about any paperwork. This would also help increase our voting percentages.
Personally, citizens should not be forced to vote. It takes away the liberty not to vote, that is the opinion that they cast. The thought of motivating people to vote through placing a fine on not voting is a good incentive, but can lead to an inaccurate result. If people won't take the time to register to vote, how could we expect them to educate themselves about whats happening politically? The citizens being forced to vote would either, put a large X on their ballot, which is the equivalent to not showing up, or they would pick based upon the media or based upon nothing. Voting should be left to the people who want to vote.
ReplyDeleteCameron Wagstaff P.3
Mina Bolous
ReplyDeleteI believe Americans should have the right to choose between voting or not voting! ultimately it is their choice if they want their opinion to be out there or not. In other countries such as Egypt voting is mandatory and i guarantee if they could vote for president most if not the whole population would vote and this is basically because people in egypt arent given as many rights as americans, arent given the freedom americans have, they dont get to vote for every little thing such as mayor or leader of the water district! i think American take voting for granted and thats why some are too lazy to even send an envelope through the mail with their opinion in it!
The sole purpose of government in America is to have a system in which enforces liberty, the act of making voting mandatory is a hypocritical one. Why have a democratic process if it is not truly a representation of what the people feel passionately about, or feel that would secure their freedom? Letting your voice be heard on an issue such as government is what makes citizens of other countries yearn to be an American. The American Dream goes hard. :)
ReplyDeleteMelanie Nelson
Period 2
The point of America being called a democracy is because it gives people the opportunity to choose what they want. All americans have the right to vote, but there is non rule saying that they have to vote. If an American does not want to vote that is his or her prerogative. The turn out of the election may change the way our government is but it is going against the point of a democracy. People should not be forced to vote.
ReplyDeleteTonya brown
I say nay on forcing american citizens to vote. The federal government has no right to force anyone to vote, or like David Kim said, force anyone to speak, or force someone to own a handgun. Forcing people would be a huge violation of our liberty and besides, forcing politically uninformed individuals (who probably don't even want to vote) to vote can really mess with our political system. Yeah they might just mark "none of the above" or vote for Jesus or Dane Cook or somebody. But they might mark someone random or somebody who is unsuited for office and that would ruin it for us educated, informed individuals who took Cavanaugh's AP government class in highschool and have a real opinon based on our personal political views.
ReplyDeleteSpencer Watson
Period 2
Well as much as I would like for everyone in our nation to vote in order to increase our percentage of voting, I do not believe that we should make it mandatory.One reason being that the government has no right to force something on the American Citizen if he or she truly has no desire to do so. It goes against our freedom of choice which is unconstitutional. Secondly, I do not feel comfortable placing our nations' political decisions into the hands of those who are ignorant of politics and do not know anything about what is going on in our country. Therefore, I feel that if people want to vote then let them, if not who are we to force them to vote for something they do not care about?
ReplyDeleteBrittney Christine Simon
Period Two<3(:
Sabrina Perez
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
I agree with Charles I question why voting has not been made mandatory yet. I do not understand why we fought for this country and pushed for the will of the people to be heard and yet, American citizens do not vote. It amazes me that so many American citizens have been taking their freedom for granted. I do not believe that making voting mandatory would be a violation of our rights, if aything it would hopefully increase the citizens interest in politics and they would hopefully have a better understanding of what they are voting for as well. I just believe that American citizens should take advantage of what they have because people in they do not realize how lucky we are to have the opportunity to vote for even the smallest state election.
Cameron Ridley
ReplyDeletePeriod. 3
Americans should in no way be forced to vote. Voting is a priviledge and should be done by those who have a legitimate reason behind their choices in politics. To force citizens to vote in America would be a mistake. Citizens would vote for the sake of voting and not for exercising their liberty and making a stand behind their beliefs. Voting is not to be done for high turnout numbers, but for showing what the populus believes should be done. In my opinion it would be a mistake to have compulsory voting.
I believe it is not necessarily the issue of making voting mandatory and "taking away our liberty" because the people are enforced to do a variety of things such as paying taxes. That is the job of the national government, to keep order and do what is BEST FOR THE PEOPLE. If that comes in the form of making voting a requirement then more power to them. BUT, requiring the people to vote is unwise. People who have no particular interest in the government or no knowledge of the candidates will cast their vote that is worthless or chosen for the wrong reasons. Plus, if people are allowed to put "X" for none of the above then what is the reason for casting that vote? To make the wait longer for the people that actually care or to waste money on paying the people who count the ballots? In the case of voting, ignorance is not bliss, it's destructive.
ReplyDeleteAndi Cantrell (:
Period 2
In my opinion, I think voting should be mandatory but, like Charles said, only so that people must pass tests that allow them to vote responsibly. While mandatory voting may seem like it's taking away freedom from the people, isn't it our duty to vote as citizens? And while duty may not necessarily connote "mandatory" shouldn't American citizens be more involved in who they choose to lead them?
ReplyDeleteI do think it's wrong to force someone against their will, but honestly even if they don't vote, you still hear many people complaining about who was voted for. Why complain if they didn't even make an effort to change what they were displeased with? Even if they felt like their vote wouldn't matter, why didn't they do anything to change it by using their right to vote? It's not the issue of freedom, but the issue that people have not utilized their rights to its full potential.
This is why I believe all American citizens should vote. Because if all they're going to do is complain about how the government is run, then they should do something about it by picking the people who should run it the way they, the rest of America, seem fit! But of course, I do think there should be a literacy test that shows a person can be a responsible voter and that there should be an option of choosing none or filling in someone else if the voter feels like they don't agree with any of the candidates' views. So by making it mandatory, we're not really taking away their freedom. They still get to choose who they vote for, even if it is no one (which is the same as not voting at all) or Jesus Christ or Mickey Mouse. They still have the freedom to choose who to vote for.
Alexandra Jose
Per. 2
In my opinion, i realize that a lot of people are giving comments on having freedom stripped from them by making the government enforce voting to all citizens, but i think this has to do more than just forcing to do things. I believe that the normal citizen of this country has always cheated there way out of things improper to their "calling" as a puzzle piece of the government of the people, by the people, and for the people. We always use the words "freedom" of this and that, and to get out of things, but freedom is not free. There are obligations that we as people of this country have been blind to because we have so much "freedom." It is our duty as the people of this great country to give a voice at all times. We have been slothful in doing our part by not giving a simple opinion about our laws and leaders of the government. The country wants to enforce these laws not to strip away your natural rights, but to remind you what is needed to keep this country from corruption. This law should be passed so people can start realizing that the more important things in life for our country are voting for political news, other than betting on a super bowl game.
ReplyDeleteSateki Finau Per.2
Yes making voting mandatory is a great idea let's have all the illiterate lazy people in the US who don't know who each candidate on the ballot is except oooooohhhh look that's a cool name and do what everyone would do in this situation um I want that person because his name is bob and my name is bob, and that guy sounds like a good guy I want him ( checks box of the rapist) and oh no he's a commy I don't want him ( skips Obama). And to an extent i agree with Charles maybe since its a requirement to pass a government class to pass why don't we have a test given in that class to se proficiency in making a logical decision in politics to register US as voters or something on those lines but I DON'T CARE HOW AMAZING OUR VOTING TURNOUT WOULD BE BUT making a bunch of idiots blindly vote in my opinion is a lot WORSE than having them not vote at all as people with higher efficacy remain the ones voting as they probably know what efficacy is as they try to choose the "right" candidate as they try to make a difference in their community. And second making voting mandatory is not an enumerated, delegated, implied or concurrent power therefore we leave it to the states to make their reserved power into use hmmm yeah it would go a lot better using the brain power to realize that this is a dumb idea into making a policy or I don't know balancing a budget *cough* California *cough* oh wait yeah were taking funds out of schools and adding acts to making standards lower ( no child left behind or whatever Obama is trying to name it now) and making the US citizens dumber and less qualified to vote.....
ReplyDeleteSorry I kinda started like going on a venting rant there at the end but my point is making voting mandatory is a waste of a thought.
Gisselle Valiente
ReplyDeleteHow much do the ppl even know about what/who theyre voting for is a question that should be asked when deciding if voting should be made mandatory. Sure making voting madatory would increase voter turn out, but by how much exactly? Making us pay a fine or coming up with another type of incentive could increase it dramatically but that takes away a certain level of our freedom. We have our own opinions and the ability to make our own choices. Voting should not be made mandatory because it is our CHOICE to vote. We dont have to if we dont want to. Plus, personally, if it were to be mandatory it would make me NOT want to vote because what if i dont know a lot about the certain people in an election? Am i supposed to vote for whoever? What if that person wasnt the right person for the job and i just chose him because i HAD to choose someone?
cory moore
ReplyDeleteone of the reasons that people risk there lives for this country is having the right to vote. and when only half or less of registered voters participate in elections it can be considered a spit in the face to those who fought and died to our liberty. i believe that forcing people to vote isnt very democratic but it is neccessary in order to have a more accurate turnout. now i believe we should have a system that resembles that of australia to where u must pay a fine or give a definite reason to why u cannot vote. in doing so this action could install awarness pride in the country and make the country more involved with its national and state government.
I believe compulsory voting would be a disaster in America because Americans are almost always opposed to the idea of the government telling them they have to do something. Americans will always fight for their right to make a choice. However, I think Australia has the right idea by creating trivial fines and penalties for those who don't vote as that little extra incentive for people to get to the polls. It'd be a lot harder to fight against a 15 dollar fine for not voting when it is our responsibility as American citizens anyway. Although this would increase voter turnout it may not even affect the outcome of elections because people who are not educated in politic or simply do not care would come and choose the "none of the above" option instead of simply staying at home and not voting. However, it would help lessen the extremism among the parties which is caused by trying to rally the members of said party to come vote for issues they feel strongly for such as gay marriage. The problem with doing this is that other very important but perhaps less exciting issues get ignored. In sum, increasing voter turnout by increasing incentive in a non-biased way would be beneficial to our country.
ReplyDeleteEmily Critchfield period.2
i dont think that voting should be mandatory...we have a freedom here in the united states that gives us the right to elect our leaders or not...however i do not understand why people would not want to vote..if u have the power to elect someone who can be truly beneficial to us as a nation vote for that candidate...i beileve not voting is being hypocritical if u have the right to vote for something u beileve in do it if u didnt have that right people would complain and we wouldnt be the nation we are today..
ReplyDeletezach smith per. 2
Shelly Lu
ReplyDeletePer. 2
Voting shouldn’t be mandatory in the United States. Making voting mandatory may benefit the country in less “extremist discourse” and higher voting percentage but would it really benefit the society and the political good health? A better voter turnout that includes the votes of those who are ignorant of politics would not benefit the voting process at all. The votes of these people and their random choices would both mess up the voting results and obscure the public opinion of others who actually understand what’s going on and know what they want for their country. Furthermore, voting should be a right and not an obligation. The people should be able to choose if they want to vote or if they do not want to participate. Sometimes, a low voter turnout can show that people are happy with the current situation and a high voter turnout can show that people are upset and unsatisfied with the government and its policies.
I believe Americans should have the right to choose between voting or not voting. It is unconstitutional for mandatory voting and also do we really want to have the vote of poeple who are too preoccupied, don't care, or ill informed about politics? i say nah!
ReplyDeleteI believe mandatory voting is a good idea. America's voter turnout is too low. If the United States were to adopt a system like Australia's, the American people would become more politically educated. No one wants to be the person who has to check "none of the above" in every box on the ballot. People will want to educate themselves on the politics around them. So, mandatory voting will not only increase voter turnout, but it will encourage Americans to make more informed, intelligent decisions regarding their power to vote.
ReplyDeleteShannon Smith, per. 3
Connor Dye p3
ReplyDeleteI think that voting should not be made mandatory, because it wwould be taking freedom away from the american citizen. We faught for the right to choose whether we would like to vote or not. Also, if everyone was forced to vote, there would be a lot more people who voted that did not know a thing about politics. America should leave he voting in the hands of the people who at least know the difference between the republican and the democratic party.
I agree with christo the people who dont vote in todays elections are the people who have no knowledge of the workings of the government or of each candidate. Suddenly a man named pheonix could win an election simply because his name sounds cool. The People who vote for the most part are those who understand and care about the government and believe that a specific canditate, act, or statute can help propel the government into creating a better america. If we make voting mandatory people will simply vote for who ever they have heard of creating an election process directly tied to the amount of money a canditate spends advertising as a pose to a canditates opinions and abilities as a leader. Registering to vote is not a difficult process and those who care will vote. The nonvoters are basically casting thier vote as, "I have no opinion either way please decide for me" until the time when these people decide to attempt to input an opinion their votes do not matter. Allow me to pose it this way, if a group of 10 is going out to eat and attempting to decide where to go and one person says " i don't care i will eat anywhere." do we force them to decide? no because thier opinion no longer makes a difference because they have submitted to the will of the majority to decide whats best.
ReplyDeleteps. we should have debates in class where people of each opinion go to opposite sides of the room and we can have a full on class debate just saying XD
ReplyDeleteMayra Acevedo
ReplyDeleteIn a government for the people by the people, experts could argue about the difference the inactive would make to the overall federal system, but in reality there are so many groups behind the scenes pulling strings and polishing puppet candidates that a person's vote won't make all that the difference. The better solution is to allow for a more transparent political system, the manditory voting will indeed be effectve.
The term mandatory voting might sound good, but if you think about it, its not to great. Don't get me wrong, voting is extremely important and every American should do it but forcing them to vote may cause certain citizens to get upset. There is always a possibility that a certain citizen might not agree with the candidates who are running in a particular race. If there is mandatory voting, we are forcing an American citizen to vote for someone he or she does not agree with. Mandatory voting will not solve any problems it will just create new ones in a long list of problems this country currently dealing with.
ReplyDelete-Jaron Moringlane
Per.2
Shirley Leanos per. 3
ReplyDeleteI beleive voting should be some what mandatory, people in today's society i believe have gotten even more lazy and believed it to be a hassel to vote. Voting is important especially when citizens claim that they have no say in what the government does well voting gives them the chance to change what they do not liek. Although I do believe there is a down side because charging people for not voting is a nucance and if people did not vote because they couldn't what would happen to them? Would it just be another way to cath illegal immigrants? There is no excuse for eligible voters not to vote but in a way it does take away some of our freedom.
Voting should be mandatory, but only to those who pass certain qualifications as others have mentioned. The ability to appoint all our leaders is a gift numerous citizens are ignoring. People complain about the government not doing it's job properly when they are the roots of the problem. They may complain less had they done their part and voted to have their favored leader on the board representing their needs and concerns. Is this country not founded on the ideals of freedom and liberty? By not voting, we are essentially allowing elites to gain much of the power in the government, which could end up in the people being misrepresented or ignored. Our freedom and liberty are endangered if we don't take action. It's our responsibility to ensure that those values are protected through voting. This is a blessing citizens in other countries would die for and yet we are taking it for granted.
ReplyDeleteDianne Tulud, Period 2
I think that making voting mandatory would be an excellent idea. The country could get a better idea of what people want if everyone expressed their opinion. Australia has the right idea about placing modest fines on those who do not vote. If our voting turnout is higher then not only will the countries views be more clear, but perhaps it will bring the country together more.
ReplyDeleteTiana Harris period 3
Tommy Truong
ReplyDeleteMandatory Voting? What a joke! That just another outrageous, unconstitutional way to make The United States looks bad in front of foreign nations. One should understand that voting is a privilege that others fought and die for, but at the end it is still a choice and it should stays as a choice. Moreover, mandatory voting brings more problematic debates, whether there should be a penalty, or should it become mandatory for every single elections. Also, is it really okay for everyone to vote? Honestly, DO we really want everyone to vote? In reality there are some Americans that are politically ignorant and will bandwagon along with others and make poor decisions that could affects millions. Even if everyone is equally politically informed can anyone guarantee that the results of the elections will dramatically change if there are more voting turnouts? Therefore get that thought of "Mandatory Voting" out of your head, Voting should stays as a choice. Possible solution is to inform the public more about politics, and focus more on elections that does matter to others.
Americans shouldnt be forced to vote. Although fining causes a greater turnout, requiring the people to vote is no too smart. People who have no idea about government or of the candidates will cast their vote out of pure ignorance and if enough votes are cast in that manner, it could be significant in elections. we wouldnt want those uneducated about politics to vote for the future of our country. People who do not vote now most likely have their reasons for doing so, & shouldnt be forced to.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa Nunez period 3
I disagree with the idea of making voting mandatory. Not only does it restrict the freedom of the people, but it forces a decision upon the people. More importantly, I do not think that forcing people to vote will change the outcome of the results. Just because people are forced to vote does not necessarily mean that they all know what they are doing. You cannot assume that just by making it mandatory will change the results. However, we as people should be making an attempt to increase the voting turnout in order to truly maximize the voice of us people.
ReplyDeleteSimon Hwang P.3
VOTE MR. CAVANAUGH FOR PRESIDENT AND TELLS US THE STORY OF HOW YOU GOT SHANKED!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I know were you live. MUahahahahaha
I think that having mandatory voting would be a bad idea. Sure, the voting turnout would be higher, but at what cost? Is it really worth having people vote that are not knowledgable of what they are voting for? also, nothing says that their vote would be honest. because they are being hassled to vote they could mark every box on the right for all we know. then the vote would be skewed and inaccurate. is that what americans that vote regularly want? i say that, even if voting turnout is low, it would be better then an inaccurate turnout.
ReplyDeleteTyler Sapp
Period 3
i don't think people should be forced to vote. Those who don't want to vote will probably just choose at random just to get it over with, not really care what the outcome is going to be. I don't want the ill informed to decide things if they don't even know what they are voting for. I feel at least the people who are voting, know what they're doing and they are somewhat informed, and they actually want to make a difference. For those who don't vote, probably don't really care what is being passed or who is being put into office. I feel, if a person really feel strongly about something up for election, that should be enough incentive for them to vote.
ReplyDeleteKelly Moreno
p. 2
As citizens in America, our greatest gift is the power of our freedom. I believe voting should not, and should never become compulsory. We were given the right to vote–men and women, blacks and whites, and everyone else–so we should also be given the right to NOT vote. Voting is a choice that can be independently made; the government should not make the decision for a person on whether they WANT to vote or not. If voting was made mandatory, citizens would feel like they are voting "just because", and not for the right reasons. The people who actually vote these days are those with true political views, and are people who want to take part in political elections. If people do not care about such political issues, why should we force them to do something that they would probably not put their 100% effort in? Making voting compulsory, in my opinion, would not be a wise decision.
ReplyDelete-Nicole Pham (Period 3)
Voting should be a choice, not a forced action. It would take away some of the value of voting and the freedom that makes America's name. Mandatory voting could also lead to inaccurate results, since many citizens who have no knowledge of the country's affairs will be required to vote, and will not make the choices that truly represent their ideals or the country. Mandatory voting will change the results, I believe, but not for the better. Results that do not show the truth are not accurate.
ReplyDeleteVoting should be mandatory and give the people have a choice of "none of the above" like Australia.
ReplyDeleteNot only do the results become more accurate, but by having it mandatory, more people become aware of politics and can be aware of the political world around them.
By having "none of the above", it gives people the freedom to not vote for a candidate.
As a result, some people, even though they might end up choosing "none of the above" and still have no opinion towards politics, might actually get involved with politics even more and the results in the end will be even more accurate.
Joyce Park
Period 3
Kenneth P2
ReplyDeleteI don't see why we wouldn't just make it mandatory. It's not like mandatory voting will be something that Americans will not get used to, Americans need to sometimes suck it up and just do things that are for the greater good, instead of whining about liberty over and over again and again. A right not to vote? Okay, is it really going to kill you to not be able to vote? Is it really going against your liberties? Well, if freedom to not help your government is your idea of freedom, then I don't know what to say.
James NeVille period 2
ReplyDeleteThis is the land of choice. People have a choice on whether or not to voice their opinion through voting. To force people to vote would be an oppression of people's liberty. It would be like forcing someone to protest against something. It is a good thing to vote in order to actually have a say in what is going on in your country. Forcing someone to vote if they didn't want to might not vote to what they truly feel rather what it quickest in order to finish; what they feel is an obnoxious ordeal.
Ashlee Gilford
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
I think that the government should make everyone vote. I dont understand why all citizens dont vote when we earned the right to. We fough for this right and everyone is not taking advantage of it. I also like how this article pin pointed issues that was directly from our text book. One issue was that these parties are not getting out here and letting us know thats its important to register and vote. Another think that the text book and this article said was that Austraila makes is mandatory to vote or you have to pay a fine. If they are getting a 95% turn out then that means the U.S. is doing something wrong.
I disagree with the above post. -Mr. Longo
ReplyDeleteJoshua Quinto p.3 said...
ReplyDeleteMandatory voting because it is a "right we are not taking advantage of" is like forcing every home/family/individual to own a gun because, according to the second amendment, it is our right to do so. Rights are things we are given the choice to do with as we please. This being said, the argument of "larger voter turnout due to mandatory voting" is easily countered. Australia has a 90% plus voter turnout. A larger voter turnout simply means more people voted. That's it. This does not mean people are voting for what they truly believe in. People who would not normally vote, or are too tired, or whatever the excuse, would most likely sway the vote if it is made mandatory. They would probably go to vote by filling any bubble on the ballot, thus allowing them to spend, "waste", as little time as possible so that they do not have to "pay a fee for not voting". This way, the first person/law/whatever is being voted on will be the victor in the eyes of the ballot counters.
Long story short,
unconstitutional (mandatory voting = direct democracy, no? we were made to be a REPresentativeUBLIC democracy)
mandatory voting + an already busy/lazy/ignorant/etc. voter population =
invalid results.
50% truths > 90% lies
Boyang Liu Period 2
ReplyDeleteI think voting should NOT be mandatory and the penalty action such as compulsionary acts are not appropriate for United States either. As a significant feature of the democracy system, voting has to people's feel will, which means voters themselves need considerable initiative and knowledge to complete this responsibility. However if we ever try to force people to vote, even the ones that have absolutely no resolution or interests to do so, there can be room for some inaccurate results despite the higher turnout rates, since people would just undergo the motion for the sake of not being penalized. United States has an unique political environment, blindly adapting other country's compulsionary penalty will not solve the low voting rates at all
Voting should NOT be mandatory. Those who choose not to vote probably do not know enough about politics to begin with. Only people who truly care should vote. Sure, the results will be a little different, but it is a result collected from the votes of those who care enough to get up and vote. Registration also should not be mandatory. It takes a little more character to get up and take a few minutes out of your life to go register. If the election is important enough to you, you will vote and you will register, and your opinion should matter. People who vote for "the better looking candidate" or ask "wait so who's running again?" probably do not care enough about elections to take the time to vote, and it's better that way.
ReplyDeleteNancy Wu
Period 3
Agnijita Kumar, period 3
ReplyDeleteAmerica was founded on the basic principle of democracy, right? So when only 50-60% of our population is actually voting, what happened to the democracy? We constantly criticize countries without democracies, then why are we condoning our own, where not even half of the population bothers to vote for state elections, let alone the meager 60% voting in the nationals. I just believe that if we were to impose mandatory voting, the sense of true American spirit would come back. With the way politics is viewed, we need to have everyone feel like they are a part of it, so we can truly better things. Along with this, Americans will quit feeling a sense of learned helplessness toward what occurs in the White House. With mandatory voting, Americans will feel more involved, and confident in their government. And if nothing else, this is what America's all about. A sense of say in what happens.
Andy Shin
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Norman Ornstein brings up a very good opinion - that forcing voters to vote like Australia would increase voter turnout. But, he also mentions that many of the people would become highly influenced over any party who treats them well. In America, we may not have high voter turnout, but we do have a sample of the population who understand and have passion for politics. Americans vote not because it is their duty, but because they want to vote for what's right. In a democratic world, the people have the say. In an elitist continent like Australia, the big parties and money spenders have the real say, not the people.
I believe that voting should be mandatory, bc at the end of the day, it is still very easy to do, considering the absentee ballot. I don't necessarily think its a loss of freedom, I think being forced to vote is being forced to practice that freedom given to us in the constitution. If the government were able to fine people for not voting, then that would probably help with the budget deficit, and we would be able to get more opinions in the elections to truly reflect how america feels about each candidate.
ReplyDeleteNami Mottaghi
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Voting should never in any case be mandatory. Not everyone voting is beneficial because not all citizens know what is best for the country. A higher voter turnout may not be what is best for the country!
Anthony Anzaldo Period 3
ReplyDeleteI am very torn between wanting the United States to have "mandatory" voting and keeping it the way it is. If voting is made "mandatory," it would instill into some Americans a sense of patriotism but to others they would view it as taking away their freedom by "forcing" them into voting. Although most elligible voters do not know what politics is or about, it is still good to know what they would want for America. With Australia having 95% turn out and the U.S. about 50% Australia can get a sense for what everyone wants and not just half of the country's population. Now as for having voting continue to be the same, I predict that eventually the voter turn out will continue to decrease for the National election to about 20%-30%. I wonder if it will ever reach 0% and then the government would have to vote themselves?
I feel that the average american doesn't have the knowledge or common information to adequately vote. So getting a vote from everyone wouldn't necessarily get the best answer because most people would probably just carelessly vote on the issue. Making voting mandatory would just mess up the turn outs. If we want a true better turn out my best advice would be make absentee voting more available so its easier for the 'lazy american'
ReplyDeleteamber arguello p 3
Akash- I feel that fining americans has its good points and bad however, i believe that the bad out weighs the good. For example, it would lead to bad voting because if you are forcing people to vote it might cause them to vote ignorantly or irresponsibly. If that happened the election would not be reflective of the people beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI know that making it mandorty for people to vote can be both a bad and good thing. a good thing in the sense that everyone would be voting and a bad do to the fact that it goes against our rights as americans. but in the end laws already go against our liberty what can one law hurt.
ReplyDeletekatie ward
per. 2