Only about 40 percent of eligible Americans vote in a typical midterm election and around 60 percent in a presidential election, leading some to suggest the U.S. follow other countries’ lead and make voting compulsory, while critics warn it could have negative consequences. The Onion evaluates the pros and cons of making voting compulsory.
PRO
Young Americans will discover the magic of county bond proposals.
Golden opportunity to criminalize something new.
Stickers!
There’s probably some way to combine voting with the lottery.
Would more evenly apportion blame for nation’s problems.
CON
Broader representation of nation’s electorate.
Lose sense of superiority you get over people who didn’t vote.
What’s next, allowing dogs to vote?
Ruins years of steady, patient disenfranchisement.
Future candidate who campaigned to end mandatory voting would always win.
