Obama Suggests Mandatory Voting

The United States has one of the lowest voter turnout rates out of all developed countries. But according to a recent statement by President Obama, that could change.

“It would be transformative if everybody voted,” President Obama said in a speech in Cleveland on Wednesday.

One way to ensure that everybody votes: make it mandatory.

“I think that could be a good thing because I know there’s a lot of people that don’t vote,” says Omar Reyes of Moorhead.

“I’m okay with that. I didn’t vote this last time but I wanted to,” says Andrew Suby of Fargo.

It’s an idea that President Obama says it might be time for due to the influence that money plays when there is a low voter turnout.

“If everybody voted, then it would completely change the political map in this country,” Obama says.

According to the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, at least 26 countries have mandatory voting. But one Moorhead elected official says it would be very problematic.

“Some people probably vote Republican or Democrat, whatever the case may be, or independent whatever it may be you know. But if you make everybody vote some people aren’t knowledgeable with some of that stuff and I’d be very leery of our country going to that,” says Clay County Commissioner Frank Gross.

And others say it would ruin our nation’s voting system.

“I personally always vote but sometimes I could see where not voting is just as much of a statement when you really don’t have a choice in your candidate and you don’t feel you can support either one of them,” says Ellene Berry of Baton Rouge, LA.

The President said that due to the lengthy process of actually making voting a requirement, it would be a long-term proposition.

Just under 40 percent of eligible voters took part in the mid-term elections last November.