Target: Virginia Foxx, Chair of U.S. House Committee on Rules
Goal: Advocate for legislation that increases voting access for all Americans who are eligible.
The 2020 and 2024 elections were considered a “success” in terms of voter turnout, with levels of participation reaching numbers not seen in decades. Yet even with the uptick, the percentage of eligible voters who actually voted still hovered at around 65 percent. With more elections imminent and questions about the preservation of democracy lingering, some advocates have proposed a solution used by over 20 democracies across the world: universal civic duty voting.
Under this concept, voting would be considered a civic duty of every eligible American, and it would be mandatory. A small penalty, enforced at the discretion of states, would be levied for failure of participation. The concept has bolstered voting rates to over 90 percent in many nations where it has been enacted, including Australia. The strongest argument for universal civic duty voting is that it will help make elected officials more representative of their entire electorate. Citizens may be inspired to become more politically engaged and have a greater hand in making decisions that will benefit them.
The idea has circulated in America’s political discussion since colonial times, before the nation was even officially born. For individuals concerned about the mandatory and penalty aspect of this system, an alternative does exist that encourages but does not require voter participation: universal vote-by-mail. Under this system, every eligible voter is automatically registered and mailed a ballot, removing many of the physical barriers to voting.
Previous efforts to institute either policy have fallen due to political interests that want to preserve the partisan status quo. Sign the petition below to demand elected representatives support a step that will broaden and reflect America’s diverse electorate.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Representative Foxx,
Twenty million additional voters joined the ranks of the electorate during the past two presidential elections. Even so, tens of millions of eligible Americans sat on the sidelines. Imagine what difference it might make if every American’s voice was represented in American democracy?
Majority wishes could drown out the loud and divisive cries of extremists, true consensus could be reached, the people – not the powerful and wealthy – could have their say, and elections could become more cost-efficient and more suppression-free. Add in the potential of universal mail-in voting (while tuning out the political noise associated with the topic), and the possibility of a truly representative, informed, and holistic American electorate could be more than a pipe dream.
At a time when voter suppression is on the rise, make the bold move to open up democracy to all eligible Americans. Join the nine states that have embraced mailing ballots to every voter (and, in some cases, automatically registering voters) and remove any remaining barriers to full voter participation. And consider making universal civic duty voting a priority across the United States.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Sora Shimazaki
