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This is basically all modern elections. Very few flip sides, it's mostly about which side actually gets enough people to get out to vote.
Which is why I want mandatory voting. The country would be a lot better represented if everyone was forced to cast a ballot. Sure tons of people would vote without any real care, but they'd still tend to vote roughly for anyone they knew they liked. The college kid that always talks politics online but can't be bothered to vote will now actually cast a ballot and be heard.
But this would almost definitely finish off the current Republican party so it's doubtful it'll ever happen.
Mandatory/automatic registration I would support, but not mandatory voting. Like it or not, part of our liberties is the freedom to not participate in politics or society if you didn't want to. Also, I don't want someone randomly filling in bubbles trying to make a movie showtime to determine our next leaders and laws...
You would have the freedom to abstain on every vote, but you have to submit the paperwork. I wouldn't force someone to actually vote for a person if they didn't want to, but like taxes or jury duty, they have to show proof that they completed the task. If that ballot is effectively blank, well that's their choice. But I feel that getting to enjoy those same liberties you speak of requires you to at least minimally engage in the process.
Personally I'd rather have someone randomly fill in bubbles than not vote. As they're randomly filling stuff in, maybe they see a name they recognize and they actually cast a real vote. That's a win.
If not mandatory voting then at least automatic registration while sending out mail-in ballots to everyone by default. The USPS spends so much time and resources delivering junk-mail destined for the burn pile, what's some unused mail-in ballots? The only excuse not to vote would be if you just didn't want to.
Maybe there's a security issue with this idea that I'm overlooking though, so I'm all ears.
Why not a tax deduction for anyone who votes at least once a year? It doesn't even matter if you submit an empty ballot.
You vastly underestimate how goddamn stupid most people are. Anyone too stupid to vote is too stupid to entrust with a vote imo. Fix education first, and then voter participation will fix itself.
And also if Gerrymandering were brought under control.