Argument Against Mandatory Voting

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VOTING
The right to vote is an individual liberty but a significant right at the core of democracy. Without political participation from society, government, public interests, security and the very core of society would be at stake. Weak social groups would lose their voices; failure to vote could bring political oppression and far greater infringements to personal freedom.
Mandatory voting would make elections truly valid. “Protecting the integrity of our elections” is the rational Republicans give for the restrictive voter ID laws they have enacted on in Pennsylvania and many other places. If we truly cared about the truthfulness of elections, we should ensure that they reflect the will of all eligible voters.
Mandatory voting would prompt …show more content…

midterm elections is particularly low. Required voting offers one possible, if radical, solution. Like any political institution, laws on it have multiple, if disputed, consequences. The average voter is incompetent at politics. The citizens who refrain are, on average, even more incompetent. Many people don't vote because they don't care enough or know enough of the politics to get involved, and there is no convincing evidence that mandatory voting increases voter knowledge. Simply put, people who vote tend to know more about politics than those who don't. It is worth asking why we would want low information citizens voting in the first place. Just so they're "involved" even if they're trudging to the polls to avoid a fine? If we force everyone to vote, the electorate will become even more irrational and misinformed. The result will not only will the worse candidate on the ballot get a better shot at winning, but the candidates who make it on the ballot in the first place will be worse. The people who are forced to vote against their will to avoid a fine, are just going to vote for anyone just to fulfill their commitment and not be fined, is that what we want? Is this what American is coming to forcing people to go to the polls just to check a box just to avoid a

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