As you probably have noticed if you have read any of my other posts, I tend to have very odd, “Out There” views, and this is one I have never heard anyone else discuss before but I believe very strongly into it, every person in the United States of America should be required to vote, lest there be consequences.
How do we know that everyone is able to vote? That is an odd question, we know where the polling stations are, and if your reading a political blog (if you didn’t know, surprise!) I would guess that you are politically involved and informed enough to be a frequent voter.
I am from Oregon and the way we do things here is our ballots get mailed to us and then we bring them to designated locations, often town halls, libraries, sometimes schools. I do not know how homeless citizens vote in Oregon, assuming they do not have a Post Box. The question then goes to you, the reader. Obviously you know how you vote, but consider to yourself for a moment, do you know how people who are extremely dissimilar to you vote? Think of each of the extremely underprivileged groups that historically have had a hard time voting, such as disabled citizens in rural areas, citizens with little to no access to technology, homeless citizens, citizens who are away from home.
What I am proposing is that every person in the United States be legally obligated and required to turn in a ballot. But Max, you say, You just made me think about all the people who would have a hard time voting, why should they receive legal consequences, well there is where I am gonna flip on you, federal government will not be able to punish you directly rather they would punish the states by diminish funding to federally funded state projects. Then the state would not be allowed to punish its citizens, not via fines or jail time, but by withholding state funding benefits, such as driving privileges, government subsidized loans, plane travel. These things sound extreme, but think of it in context of requiring people to register for the draft, one of these things do not endanger your life. Serial nonvoters could also be denied jobs at state funded institutes such as universities, national labs, or administrative buildings.
In addition to all this, political parties could also be punished if their voter base does not turn out. Giving citizens an ability to punish their party if they aren’t listening to their base, a mechanism that would have certainly come into play on both sides in 2016.
I will likely discuss the exact mechanism of how this might work in a later post, as the idea intrigues me, but I would like to hear some feedback from you before I fully flesh it out. As it is I would like to close this with what the constitutional amendment would look like, similarly as how I have done in previous posts. The constitutional amendment would read:
Any state that fails to provide adequate resources such that less than nine out of ten of its constituents cast a ballot, will be vulnerable to extensive withdrawal of federal funds until the state demonstrates adequate civil participation. A citizen cannot be criminalized for choosing not to cast a ballot however state disbursement of benefits can be withheld.
As always please let me know via the contact button your opinions, I like hearing all productive sides such that I can improve upon my own opinions.
-Max, of 5th Branch
5th Branch 