Should Americans Be Required to Vote?
If not even one citizen voted, it would be up to Congress to decide who would become President. If compulsory voting existed in America, that would eventually change. The people need to have their say when it comes to who will rule our country. Voting is important for democracies, it allows citizens to express their consent or disapproval by voting in elections. Americans should be required to vote because it’s simple, it shows that citizens have freedom, and are mature. Being mature is a big deal, when a citizen turns 18, they’re on their own. In 2004, about 72 percent of people ages 60 and over voted, and only 49 percent of people ages 18-29 voted (Doc B). The older people have been alive longer so they know how significant it is to vote, but the younger people on the other hand, don’t know how important it is to put in your opinion. When just turning 18 the citizens should take advantage of having the opportunity to vote. In
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Neither the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights directly says that, but taking the information given, the citizens can infer that they do. Filip Palda says, “Government cannot paste a happy face on a political system and hope that people are smiling inside” (Doc D). This shows that no matter what the government does, it doesn’t automatically make a citizen happy, in fact, it is capable of doing the opposite. He also talks about the regimes of a Potemkin facade of the citizen involvement (Doc D). In other words, the government can’t hide the fact that citizens have the right to vote. Nevertheless, the author is trying to say is that the government shouldn’t have full control over the citizens (Doc D). Considering citizens aren’t controlled by the government and they can make make their own decisions on who to vote for, they are free from the grasp of the controlling
In recent years, due to non compulsory voting, our national affairs and international affairs have been affected. America should have compulsory voting because of increased voter turnout rates, the questionability of the legitimacy of our government and the education of politics for the people.
One reason that Americans shouldn’t be required to vote is because not very many people vote due to their education level or because of their age. People who have an education level less than a highschool diploma are less likely to vote than a person that has gone to college and is a postgraduate (Doc. B). People who are 60 and older have 70-75% voter turnout as to where people who are
Should Americans be Required to Vote No, Americans should not be required to vote. Americans should not have to vote because making someone do something is unconstitutional, and people with little to no knowledge of anything political could possibly hurt the country with unreasonable voting for a person that could harm the entire country. Also countries with compulsory voting show very low political satisfaction rates. “You might as well urge the unpracticed to use power tool or Rollerblade.” This is an analogy describing how incompetent a person who requires the United States to vote would be.
Voting should not be mandatory because the elections would create a less accurate outcome due to inexperienced voters being forced to make a decision they barely know much about, the majority of countries with mandatory voting is struggling, and it is nearly impossible to force citizens to vote, violating their freedom of choice. Indeed, if voting became a mandatory law, the decisions that all eligible citizens could be inaccurate to what is truly needed. Throughout the history of voting in the past fifty years, the majority of voters have been the people of the age forty-five and older, while less than half those who have been recently given the power the vote, ages eighteen to twenty-nine, choose not to. (Doc B).
Do you think Americans should be forced to vote? American citizens should have the right to electorate; all the people in a country or area who are entitled to vote in an election. If the government forces people to vote by making it a law, Americans will be obligated to vote. The United States is a place meant for freedom. Should Americans be required to vote? There are three reasons why Americans should not be required to vote. Voting without background information might lead you to the wrong decision, a national database on citizens would threaten our privacy, and because it violates our democratic rights.
One reason why Americans should not be required to vote is because citizens have liberty to choose to vote or don’t vote. Evidence supporting this reason is compulsory voting just like potemkin facade, citizens have no liberty, citizens should have the liberty to choose what they want. This
“Requiring citizens to vote is no more restrictive than requiring them to register for the draft” (Doc C). Voting will just be added to a list of what Americans need to do for their country. If we can drive on the same side of the road constantly, voting every once in awhile won’t be a huge problem. “In sum, voting is the least a citizen can do for his or her country” (Doc C). Voting is a form of freedom of speech, when people vote they vote for what they believe in and most people want what’s best for the country. “It is not unreasonable to ask US citizens to do this minimal thing” (Doc
In “Race and Beyond: Why Young, Minority, and Low-Income Citizens Don’t Vote,” Sam Fulwood claims, “Regardless of whether a favored candidate won or popular ballot initiative passed, our nation suffered because of the number of people who didn’t vote at all” (par. 2). I agree with Sam Fulwood and I believe it is so unfortunate that Americans don’t use this right. Voting is one of the most valuable possessions that Americans are given and yet they do not use. Many of the countries around the world do not grant voting rights to their citizens. These countries either have a dictatorship or kingdom which prevents citizens from voting. People need to understand the sufferings of those people who struggled for this right. When the United States
Americans should not be required to vote, the amount of votes will go up. But since they are not aware of who they are voting for would cause chaos. If they have a problem and want to have their say in the elections they should be able to without be required to with an influence of something. They would still need more ways to higher the voting percentage. But they could do that with several ads convincing them so they have the mindset of voting. Now the odds of the least liked candidate to be voted in to win is fifty fifty.
Voting is a right that was given to us by the democracy government system. I believe that when it comes to voting everybody participate in their civil duty much like jury duty, or doing your taxes if they are of age. Instead of giving U.S citizens the option to vote, making it mandatory to vote will ensure that everybody will have a say into how
A very controversial topic in the United States is whether or not Americans should be required to vote. Voting is a very essential piece to democracy, but many Americans today are not attending their voting location and supporting the candidate they feel is best. In recent elections, just 60% of registered voters casted their vote for a candidate. This is an issue that many people are not happy about, but whether or not there is reason to fix it is the other side to the case. Voter participation is an issue that has been going on for years, and no laws are in place currently to bring it up. Americans have been proud to live in a “free country”, and a law forcing citizens to vote may be against America’s principles. Compulsory voting should
At www.washingtonpost.com, they reported that thirty-five percent of people who didn’t vote, didn’t as they couldn’t get time off from work or leave school. If these people had to vote, they would have to have time off to do so, allowing more people to vote. However, there is another reason to make voting required for all United States citizens. Currently, U.S. citizens living in any territory of the U.S., can’t vote. This includes notable territories like Washington, D.C., American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, but includes all. Also, felons can’t vote in various states. ww2.kqed.org reports that up to six millions Americans will not be able to vote due to felon disenfranchisement laws. If all U.S. citizens had to vote, it could pave the way for getting voting rights to these
Selecting the right candidate is hard and need more people to participate and to achieve that all citizens need to voting and select the future leaders to benefit themselves and their country. By adding the voting as mandatory will ensure more responses and also keep the country on the right path. For example, In the United States, the recent studies conducted by various governments show that twenty percent only of the population gave their voting voice in the
In recent years, society has noticed increasingly minute numbers of voters. Regardless of what is causing people to stay home, it is a big issue. Voting is a right, every citizen is entitled to having a voice in the government. We can choose to vote or we can choose to abstain. This is not an issue, until voting numbers are so low it is hard to even call elections. To help fix this, countries have implemented a system called "Compulsory Voting", or more blatantly put as "Mandatory Voting". This system would require all citizens (capable) to vote. On paper, this seems like a good idea. However, it is a removal of right. To have a right is to have an option. We as citizens have the right to almost anything we want. The Constitution gives us options. You wouldn't say we have the right to pay taxes. We are required to pay taxes. Obligations are not considered rights. Making the right to vote mandatory would be removing one keyword. RIGHT.
Several countries have mandatory voting for its citizens. Is it something the United States should pursue? Mandatory voting would definitely increase the percentage of votes cast. It would make voting a duty and no longer a right. With most people who vote straight party this would be an advantage to the party who has appeased the most voters as they would come in and cast the quickest vote by straight line voting. It could be possible that knowing you had to vote, one may take more interest in learning more about candidates or constitutional amendments that are on the ballots. However, I am in favor of the opposing view. I think it is a right and privilege and should not be forced upon a person. If you force people to do something they don’t want to do then the you will reap the results. You will have uniformed voters become the majority and making decisions for the country. The politicians base will no longer be the main concern as they now will have to make a push for the politically uneducated voter which will be more about what they can give them than policy issues. This also makes what the