A bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, D-Manhattan, would radically change the way political participation is handled in New York.
If adopted the bill would mean anyone who is eligible to vote in New York that doesn’t turn in a ballot would be hit with a $10 fine.
The interesting caveat with the bill though, in current form, is the part that doesn’t necessarily force anyone to truly vote. In other words, all a person has to do under the current bill to avoid a fine is “turn in a ballot,” even if no candidates are selected on the ballot.
“Mandatory voting would drastically increase civic participation and transform the political arena by making politicians more reflective of the constituents that elected them,” Glick said in a memo.
The measure has received a lot of criticism from both sides of the political aisle, which has made many speculate about how much of a chance it has at becoming law.
The bill lacks a Senate sponsor, which means that things will remain at a standstill on this front in the short term.
