A mandatory vote would have a wonderful effect on electoral results in American politics, but as a civil liberties guy I can't buy it. A right is not a right without the right to not participate.

The right to free speech includes the right to say nothing.

Freedom of religion includes the right to have no religion.

Etc.

how about mandatory for 10 years, so as to establish a habit?

working.

For instance, paid leave to vote (but if you don't turn in your voting receipt your employer is required to pay.

Distribution of absentee ballots to everyone (with a unique national voter ID #)

I dunno... if voting was not a partisan issue and the government really wanted people to vote there have to be non-coercive ways to expand the practical franchise

advertising down to 3 months and have maybe 4 or 5 debates then people need to vote. We could take the money out of alot of this shit that is going on now. Mandatory makes people part of this country.

I will tell you am getting tired of voting for politicans when they are owned by corporations. Mandatory could change that vote.

Why isn't this a big issue?

The right wing punditry. Your solution sounds just, and I guess the argument will be whether they are willing to give up their promotion of social class and embrace the equality of rights. They wave around some rights and not others, but nothing that makes a level playing field.

The regressives have always divide us into groups, pushing those that they deem less worthy out of having a say. Because they believe those people really don't have anything worthwhile to say, only 'their words, their class, their_____' should have the privilege.

There is a distinction between rights and privileges because progressives believe in rights, regressives believe it is all a matter of privilege, which they can revoke at any time. Rights are more solid and cannot be revoked. Excellent OP.