# Would it be terribly wrong to fine people for NOT voting? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 17, 2006, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-terribly-wrong-to-fine-people-for-not-voting/340343 "2006-01-17T08:33:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-terribly-wrong-to-fine-people-for-not-voting/340343/21 "2006-01-17T17:11:50Z")
> [@SHAKES](#): > > I’m talking about for the presidential elections exclusively. Something like taxing 1% of a persons income. That doesn’t sound like a tax to me it sounds like a fine. Given that local elections affect me far greater than national elections why not fine me for not voting in those either? Marc ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-terribly-wrong-to-fine-people-for-not-voting/340343/22 "2006-01-17T18:44:12Z")
> [@MGibson](#): > > That doesn’t sound like a tax to me it sounds like a fine. Given that local elections affect me far greater than national elections why not fine me for not voting in those either? > > Marc Going out on a limb, here, I’ve noticed that a lot of the people who support mandatory voting in the US often seem to be those people who favor the policies that are perceived as being pro-urban, pro-social justice. Who also believe that the most under-represented portion of the electorate in the polling places is the urban poor. It seems to me, then, that many of those people who support mandatory voting are doing it in an effort to force national elections to correspond to their own desires. Hence the focus on the one national office, rather than local issues or ballots. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-terribly-wrong-to-fine-people-for-not-voting/340343/23 "2006-01-17T18:50:00Z")
I’m against it because it’s a violation of personal liberty. I don’t believe in forcing people to conform to my political beliefs. The other reasons mentioned are compelling, but they are irrelevant next to the violation of liberty. Erek ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-terribly-wrong-to-fine-people-for-not-voting/340343/24 "2006-01-17T20:11:27Z")
> [@SHAKES](#): > > Personaly, I rather like the idea. Except I would stipulate that the whole voting process be made a lot more accessible for those folks who can’t get around so easily. It’s been suggested before. I personally like the idea that we make elections be on a weekend, with the polls open all day long Saturday and Sunday. The country clerk mails all registered voters a tax bill for $1000. When you show up to vote, you get a credit voucher for $1000. If you don’t want to vote for anyone, you either drop a blank ballot in the box, or we add None Of The Above to the list for each race. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-terribly-wrong-to-fine-people-for-not-voting/340343/25 "2006-01-17T20:36:17Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > I personally like the idea that we make elections be on a weekend, with the polls open all day long Saturday and Sunday. The country clerk mails all registered voters a tax bill for $1000. When you show up to vote, you get a credit voucher for $1000. If you don’t want to vote for anyone, you either drop a blank ballot in the box, or we add None Of The Above to the list for each race. Wouldn’t this result in a bunch of people who, instead of voting because they are interested in the issue, are voting because they want their money back? Do we really want people to be picking candidate “A” because their name sounds hispanic, or candidate “B” because I once had a friend with that name? ---
**Author:** ![Lama\_Pacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Lama\_Pacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lama_Pacos)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-terribly-wrong-to-fine-people-for-not-voting/340343/26 "2006-01-17T20:36:44Z")
> [@](#): > > If you DON’T vote then you can’t complain because you didn’t get up off your arse and vote for “your guy”. Except not everybody has a “your guy”. When there are only two main "your guy"s who are very similar, there is a strong likelihood that you might not approve of either. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-terribly-wrong-to-fine-people-for-not-voting/340343/27 "2006-01-17T23:23:44Z")
> [@Tastes of Chocolate](#): > > Wouldn’t this result in a bunch of people who, instead of voting because they are interested in the issue, are voting because they want their money back? Do we really want people to be picking candidate “A” because their name sounds hispanic, or candidate “B” because I once had a friend with that name? Precisely the problem, aside from the liberty issue Erek mentioned, which I’m on the fence about. Forcing people to vote doesn’t force them to be informed. ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-terribly-wrong-to-fine-people-for-not-voting/340343/28 "2006-01-18T04:20:34Z")
> [@cthiax](#): > > Precisely the problem, aside from the liberty issue Erek mentioned, which I’m on the fence about. Forcing people to vote doesn’t force them to be informed. No, but it’s a necessary first step. It doesn’t matter if the horse is inclined to drink if it isn’t near the water in the first place. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-terribly-wrong-to-fine-people-for-not-voting/340343.md?page=1)