I have recently come back from my fifth trip to Brazil where my partner lives and have had the opportunity to discuss their system of mandatory voting and I wondered "Is it time for mandatory voting here in America?"
In Brazil everyone between the ages of 18-70 are required to vote. People over 70 and teenagers 16 and 17 have the right to vote but it is voluntary. Brazil has one of the most sophisticated voting systems in the world and is able to handle the 120 million votes that will be cast in their upcoming Presidential election. What I have seen from this system is a greater degree of knowledge than exists here in America. Brazilians take their voting seriously. Can you imagine if everyone in America voted? I think by and large those that do not vote in America are the lower economic classes and that is reflected in the policies of our government. Why cater to the disadvantaged if you know they will not turn out to vote and can not afford to finance your campaign? Mandatory voting would make it necessary for all politicians to address the very real concerns of the lower and middle clases. In Brazil most of the discussion regarding their Presidential election was the promises to the poor that many middle and upper class Brazilians have felt were not fulfilled and the corruption charges surrounding the Lula administration. By all measures they seemed to be more knowledgable of Brazilian politics than Americans are on American politics. How many people do we know that can tell you the score of last nights sporting event but could not tell you the names of most of their elected officials that represent them at the local, state and federal level. The penalties for not voting in Brazil monetarily are very small but not voting could make it very hard to acquire government assistance in all areas. Election day in Brazil is normally a weekend day and businesses close. You can also be called upon to work for free on election day much the same as jury duty. A well functioning democracy requires active participation by its citizens for it to be successful. With every right comes a responsibility. Mandatory voting could be one way of keeping America from becoming an oligarchy.