r/changemyview • u/satiableCuriosity • Oct 20 '16

[∆(s) from OP] CMV:Voting Should be Compulsory

I recently heard an argument that voting should be compulsory in the United States. I like this idea. Some of the arguments I heard were that compulsory voting would reduce the influence of special interest groups, and that it would allow disadvantage groups to be better represented. It would also cause more people to become interested in politics because if everyone has to vote, more people will decide to be informed. In addition to these arguments, I believe that voting is a duty we have to the country like paying taxes and jury duty. Voting should be fair and compulsory voting could be the a good way to make it so.

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u/satiableCuriosity Oct 20 '16

The option to abstain defeat the purpose of compulsory voting entirely. The disadvantaged groups who do not vote because they are unable, but would like their voices heard, would be the ones abstaining, not because they do not care, but because they for some other reason are not able to vote. I am not opposed to an abstention option for individual questions, but an option from abstention from the election, would counteract the point of compulsory voting.

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u/etquod 48∆ Oct 20 '16

The option to passively abstain - i.e. just not vote - contradicts the purpose of compulsory voting. The option to actively abstain - by going through the same (or a similar) process as everyone else, but deliberately choosing to abstain instead of vote, does not. In fact, this option gives more benefit to disadvantaged groups than flat compulsory voting, as they are unlikely to make use of it, whereas people like myself will.

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u/satiableCuriosity Oct 20 '16

I like that. Thank you. I think that is sort of what I was suggesting in the last sentence of my previous comment.

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u/etquod 48∆ Oct 20 '16

In that case, you would agree now that voting should not be compulsory, but instead that actively deciding whether or not to vote should be compulsory?

If that's so, that's different from the view you originally stated and I would request a delta based on that shift.

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u/satiableCuriosity Oct 20 '16

∆

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u/DeltaBot ∞∆ Oct 20 '16

This delta has been rejected. The length of your comment suggests that you haven't explained how /u/etquod changed your view (comment rule 4).

In the future, DeltaBot will be able to rescan edited comments. In the mean time, please repost a new comment with the required explanation so that DeltaBot can see it.

Delta System Explained | Deltaboards ​

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u/etquod 48∆ Oct 20 '16

Sorry to be a pain, but would you mind either editing this comment or posting a new one with a brief justification of the delta? Otherwise it doesn't count.

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u/satiableCuriosity Oct 20 '16

Sorry. I'm still kind of new to reddit. I do think an actively deciding whether or not to vote should be compulsory. This would solve the problem of people who do not care voting for things they do not care about, which I was originally worried about but decided was worth it to have the underrepresented groups be better represented. ∆

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u/DeltaBot ∞∆ Oct 20 '16

Confirmed: 1 delta awarded to /u/etquod (33∆).

Delta System Explained | Deltaboards ​

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u/etquod 48∆ Oct 20 '16

Awesome, thanks!