The Case for Mandatory Voting & the Australian Election

In this Memorial Day episode, Alex discusses mandatory or compulsory voting and why he thinks it could help alleviate some of America’s current woes. He thinks that one of the biggest problems in the United States is that a lot of people do not have faith in its elections. It has created a legitimacy crisis that is self-fulfilling. Mandatory voting creates a system where people do not need to register to vote and it is considered their constitutional duty to vote. If they choose not to vote, they must actively deregister or be fined a small fee. Australia is a key example of this system and last week the nation held an election that kicked out the current right-wing prime minister who was considered the “Trump from down under.” Alex discusses how this style of voting could help kick out extreme ideas and figures from the political arena because, in the current state of affairs, the most radical voices in the United States usually get heard. If everyone voted, it would likely moderate politics. Of course, it will be difficult and many Americans would not be fond of the government requiring them to vote.