Should the United States Practice Compulsory Voting?

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I believe that if you did not vote in the elections you have no reason or right to complain. There are many Americans who complain, yet they do not vote. I wonder how differently elections would work out with higher voter turn-out. I think we all wonder about that. The problem with that is that there is no way to get everyone to the polls short of compulsory voting. Some countries do this, but we do not. What would happen if compulsory voting came to the United States?

A conversation with a friend got me thinking about this. We were talking about how some people get heated to the point of name calling and low blows when political issues come up. We wondered what would happen if everyone in our country could muster up this type of passion, and take it to the polls each election to be heard in a way that matters. It seems that there is a lot of disinterest in some people, but others are willing to rip each other to shreds over the tiniest issues. This was when I brought up the topic of compulsory voting.

When I was younger I did not vote, even though I registered. I didn't care, and I didn't think my vote mattered. That changed around age 28 for me. I don't know what happened to me then, but suddenly it seemed very important to me that I start to vote. My first trip to the polls was a little intimidating, but I knew I was doing something important. I was one of the few people in my circle of friends, and even in my extended family, voting that year.

I hear many of these non-voters complaining about what is going on with in the United States, and I am baffled by this. If they cared that much, they should have gone out and voted. Many argue that voting is a right not a responsibility, and there might be some truth in that. However, how can you complain when you didn't do anything to rectify the situation? You may vote, and your candidate of choice may still lose, but at least then you have earned the right to complain.