November 21, 2009
UTNE READER

This Vote's for You!

(Page 4 of 4)

March / April 2004
By Jay Walljasper, Utne magazine 
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Wealthy folks get a tax break for practically everything they do, so it's only fair that the rest of us get an incentive to do our part for democracy. Everyone who shows up at the polls should be entitled to a small tax cut, applied according to the spirit of the 16th Amendment in a graduated way, so that the poorest voters see the most savings.

6. Fines for People Who Don't Vote

While harsh, this is also effective. Call it an apathy tax. It's done in Australia, where recent voter turnout reached 95 percent.

7. Online, Phone, or Mail Voting

It's a busy world, getting busier all the time. Since we now save time by shopping from catalogs, banking by phone, and buying stamps online, we need to figure out ways to make voting more convenient. Oregon already offers voters the chance to mail in ballots and Michigan opened its recent presidential caucuses to online participation.

The sheer sensibleness and civic spirit of ideas like these could help them become a reality in the near future. I mean, who is so low and so devoted to the status quo that they would oppose measures to put some of the fun back in election day? I'll see you down at the polling place. Cheers!

Jay Walljasper is editor of Utne.

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