When you see this graphic compulsory voting seems like an idea to explore..

Have the stakes ever been higher than the US Presidential Election of 2020? Looking at that graphic it is doubtful that whole swathes of the population will bother to vote. We have all witnessed voter intimidation from the more vehement of Trumps supporters and the Gerrymandering at will. We all know the Orwellian tactics that the republicans use to suppress the vote in minority communities, and we know that they will be double and tripling their efforts to get the great orange wanker back in office 2020. Of course, if everyone must vote, like they do in Australia, these insidious suppression tactics would be meaningless.

The argument, from certain sections of the community who do not currently vote in large numbers, is ‘there is no-one to vote for, so that is why I do not vote’. Of course, this inevitably leads to a chicken and egg situation. You have no one to vote for so you do not vote, how then will you ever be able to get politicians to become the kind of policy makers you would vote for? Maybe if under-represented groups were required to vote, even if they did not want to engage with the system, it would make politicians listen to the needs and concerns of those groups? Would it not make politicians listen and answer to the whole of society rather than middle class, older, white people, which tends to be where current policy is directed?

In a normal election year choosing not to vote could be reasonably considered a valid act of civil disobedience, however when the stakes are this high…. when it is Trump running for re-election maybe it is not wrong to think everyone should be compelled to vote? If you are going to end up in an oligarchy rather than a democracy everyone should know that they had a part in making that decision. Not voting is passive. In this election people should have to choose, and that choice stark – democracy or potentially a one party state headed by an ego-maniacal wanker.

BUT, and it is a big BUT: Can democracy ever be mandated? Can you force democracy? Surely the concept of a forced democracy is in direct conflict with the very definition of democracy? If we tried to force people into the voting booth would we not critically undermine the fundamental principle of democracy, which is choice?

I know that it is highly unlikely that America would ever adopt the Australian model, it is unicorn thinking, but I like unicorns!