By Katie Priest, Oct. 29, 2024
We are irresponsible with our civil responsibility when it comes to voting in the United States. Voting in the United States is not compulsory, but it should be. In the meantime, our thought and educational leaders should encourage voting. This issue is about creating a shared responsibility to encourage voting so that we can have the largest turnout possible.
There have been low voter turnouts in almost every election, and the gap between the number of eligible voters compared to those who actually do vote is vast. A record number of about 66% of the eligible voting population came out to vote in 2020. But, according to the Pew Research Center, of eligible voters who voted in the 2018, 2020 and 2022 elections, only 37% voted in all three elections. Midterm elections fare poorly in terms of voter turnout, only 51% of registered voters in California came to the polls, during the 2022 midterms.
When more people vote, our democracy is stronger. When a larger portion of the population votes, we become a more representative democracy. In a country like the U.S. where voting has a contentious history, everyone should be voting during every election.
Compulsory voting is a system that requires citizens of a nation to vote, elevating voting from a right to a duty.
Compulsory voting is something the U.S. should strive to do. In Australia, compulsory voting is required for its citizens, with some caveats that make it particularly enticing for citizens to vote.
The voting process in Australia isn’t managed by local governments, but rather by an independent organization, allowing for polling stations to be at various local spots that are popular to the citizens in that area.
California has passed many bills to increase voting turnout and encourage voting. Senate Bill 450, also called California’s Voters Choice Act, passed in 2016 and created a flexible election model. The bill allows people to choose how they vote, ranging from mail-in ballots to in-person early voting.
The California Assembly brought forward Assembly Bill 2070 in 2020, introducing the possibility of compulsory voting to California. This bill would require every eligible citizen who could vote to turn in a ballot whether marked or unmarked, whole or in part, to ensure everyone participates in the election.
Ideally, voting should become something akin to a national holiday.
While I wish that compulsory voting is something that could be implemented sooner rather than later, there are steps to take in the meantime.
Something we can do is call on our educational and thought leaders to push younger generations to vote.
As people viewed as thought leaders in our community, our professors have an obligation to encourage students to vote. Professors don’t need to tell students who to vote for, but they should encourage civil engagement and civil responsibility.
Some might have concerns over incentivizing voting, especially after Elon Musk recently incentivized voters to sign for a petition in support of the First and Second Amendments, encouraging them to vote a certain way for money.
One of the best parts of our democracy is that we, as citizens, have a say. But without incentivizing voting, a lack of voter turnout will always be a struggle.
One place we can do better is to step up as leaders, educated students and educators to ensure that not only ourselves are voting, but that those in our community are voting as well.
Feature image by Katelyn Chow