Should Voting Be Mandatory? Share Your Opinion

By some official projections, as few as 30 percent of registered voters may turn out for Tuesday's elections throughout New Jersey, when candidates for the state legislature, county freeholder as well as mayor and council in many localities will all be on the ballot. This despite the fact that the people who hold these offices have a major impact on state and local spending and taxation.

Contrast that with the 90 percent or more who participate in Australia's elections, according to an article in Sunday's New York Times by William A. Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

"Our low turnout rate pushes American politics toward increased polarization," Galston writes. His proposed solution? Have the U.S. join 31 nations, including Australia, in adopting mandatory voting laws.

What do you think of this idea?