Forcing Americans to Vote Turns Democracy Into a Farce - The American Spectator | USA News and PoliticsThe American Spectator | USA News and Politics

A Washington state Senate committee passed a bill requiring eligible voters to turn in a ballot for every primary and general election.

Bob Greene : It seems like the antithesis of democracy to require people to participate in elections.

Greene: Having a larger percentage of people vote doesn’t make for a better-functioning democracy; instead, it merely offers a veneer of legitimacy to leaders.

Steven Greenhut : Requiring a ballot will deepen public distrust in democratic institutions.

He says it's a rather large leap from removing impediments to voting to requiring it.

California has made it easy to vote, and yet voting rates are low, so perhaps that explains the push for mandates, he says.