Mandatory? No. Dumb idea.

If folks don't want to vote-- who cares? I vote, so my vote is that much more valuable.

Just don't complain when you don't like the way things are.

Mandatory voting? Sounds like the Soviet Union. In a democracy, voting is a choice, and so is not voting.

I don't know how they do it in Australia (and I note with interest that they don't name any of the other 30 countries), but I suppose it might be consistent with democracy if there's a guaranteed "None of the Above" (NotA) option. But that might also be consistent with chaos -- how many times do you have to redo the election, find new candidates, or whatever, if NotA keeps winning?

"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."

- Rush, "Freewill"

But Carol, you make the point. This is a democracy. You cannot force someone to vote.

Is it best if everyone were to? Of course! However, if folks don't care enough to spend the few moments to learn the candidates and issues- or even read the mailed-in-advanced ballot-- that's on them.

If the result is that elections are won by those highly motivated folks, that is, democracy in action. Further, the majority is the majority of those who chose to vote- not the majority of eligible voters.

Although I don't believe in mandatory voting, I feel strongly that people should exercise their right to vote. Many are jaded about voting because they don't see immediate results. Also, it doesn't help that many constituents have been involved in unscrupulous behavior.

Voting was once viewed as a honor and a privilege. Now to some, voting is unimportant. So many historical changes have been made when we all were given the right to vote. Unfortunately, smaller elections are viewed as a waste and people only wait to vote in the presidential election.

As a person of color, I find it extremely important that we all are candidate savvy and vote. No matter what your color or nationality, voting, having a say in what goes on in your town and in your country helps us ALL.

Hey, if you don't vote, you get the government you deserve.

Mandatory voting would be stripping citizens of their freedoms. I vote, even in all the Primaries, but it's my choice. As soon as the govt starts enforcing mandatory participation in government, it's a red flag. Literally. Let's hope it never happens. In fact, let's be sure to have a vote on it before making it mandatory. I guarantee the turnout would be healthy for that one.

In many respects, politics and elections have become as absurd as any reality television program. I wonder how many people could pass a basic civics exam? The constitutionally based rights and duties of citizenship have been replaced with unconstitutionally based entitlements. With such large and growing percentages of government dependents, how can anyone imagine that government dependents will do the right thing and vote to balance bugets and reduce deficits, for example?

Going forward, I will always vote for any candidate that is not a member of the two equally corrupt parties.

The freedom not to vote is just as important as the right to vote. So bad idea. Also next step could easily be a law telling you who to vote for. It is, however, a real shame that so few people take the time to research the candidates and cast an informed ballot.

Far from mandatory, I feel there should be a test to be permitted to vote.

Too many in the electorate are uneducated and uninformed and vote based on something their father, their preacher or neighbor told them to vote.

I feel there should be a test at all polling locations. It could ask 1 question relevant to the election. They don't have to get it "right" (i.e. agree with me) but they have to give a solid answer as to why they are voting for their candidate. If their reason is in polar opposite of their candidates views, their vote is disallowed or discarded.

Too many people vote with no reason behind their pull of the lever and that disgusts me.

A low voter turnout of people who are at least informed enough to want to vote is preferable to requiring people to vote who are totally clueless. Enough ignorant people vote already.

Give me someone to vote for (rather than against) and I'll be happy to do it more often.

If you don't vote you should not be entitled to attend township committee meetings or complain about the state of affairs.

This tweet is exactly why we should neither have mandatory voting nor permit everyone to vote without some sort of intelligence test:
Talking to voters in SC, woman says she won't vote for Romney 'because he's a Muslim.' - https://twitter.com/#!/bethreinhard/status/134000298850140160

Only if "none of the above" is an option - and then the incumbents get removed (aka Recall), and we get a new slate to try again. Implementing web based voting could elevate participation levels - but only of Joe-citizen actually thought their feedback was meaningful.

PS - How about a survey to find out if we should mandate "Zero-based budgeting"?