The Case for Compulsory Voting in the United States

• Published in: Harvard law review Vol. 121; no. 2; pp. 591 - 612
• Main Author: [Unknown]
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Harvard Law Review Association 01.12.2007
• Subjects: Congressional voting; Cost of living; Costs; Election laws; Elections; Government mandates; Law enforcement; Laws, regulations and rules; Legislation; Lobbying; Political candidates; Polls & surveys; Presidential elections; Public good; State elections; Suffrage; United States; Voter behavior; Voter registration; Voter turnout; Voters; Voting; Voting paradox; Voting rights; Voting, Compulsory; United States > US
• ISSN: 0017-811X; 2161-976X

Voter turnout in the United States is much lower than in other democracies. In European nations, voter turnout regularly tops 80%, while turnout in American elections has not approached this number for at least the past century. Even in the US presidential election of 2004, with the nation bogged down in an unpopular war and with a very tight campaign that left no front-runner, voter turnout was only about 60%. Although many may disparage the American electorate for being forgetful or lazy, low voter turnout does not necessarily mean that something is drastically wrong with American voters. The decision not to vote can be a rational one. Democratic government is a classic public good, and like any public good it is subject to a free-rider problem. You can enjoy the benefits of living in a free, democratic society whether you incur the cost of voting - time spent traveling to polls and waiting in line, information costs of choosing whom to vote for - or not.