Letters to the editor - El Ojo del Lago

Letters Editor,

Victoria Schmidt, El Ojo editor-in-chief and author of “One Nation?” article in her column “Editor’s Page” says “I have long been a proponent of a law that requires every citizen to vote.” How would such a law work? I assume she is excluding underage citizens and others who, under current law, are not allowed to vote. And I assume non-citizens are either not allowed to vote, or are not compelled to vote. How fair and politically popular is it to compel citizens to vote, but not non-citizens? How would authorities know who are the citizens they would have to track to determine non-compliance? How much would voters have to do to be in compliance? Would just showing up at a polling place be sufficient? Would voters be compelled to submit a ballot? Would voters be compelled to choose at least one candidate preference, or could a voter vote for no candidate and submit a blank ballot? Being compelled to choose a candidate when there are no candidates the voter would otherwise choose, is undemocratic. The right to vote includes the right to not vote. What would be the sanction for failure to comply? A fine? Prison? Loss of the right to vote in future elections? For citizens like myself who live in Mexico, which elections would I be compelled to vote in? Would I be compelled to vote in a state election, even though I’m not a resident of any state? All elections are for state officers, including Senators, Congresspeople, and electors for President and Vice President. The aspiration may be noble, but it’s [sixc] implementation is not.

– Rich Birkett

Ed Note: It has worked fine for the Australian government for over a century.

September 2022 Issue

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