If your vote didn't count or matter, they wouldn't try making it harder to do so. And this is a step to block making voting easier for everyone in Michigan.
Why can't I vote online then according to your logic. Would be easier for sure. Would allow me to confirm my vote as well. Sounds like Democrats don't think votes matter (according to your logic)
How about, and work with me on this: 1. Every citizen over 18 y.o. is automatically registered to vote. 2. DItch 1st past the post elections and instead have some form of ranked choice voting. I know, so radical, but that's my solution.
Nah optional is good but at least make it a holiday so everyone has the option to vote. Many don't because they're working all day and the nearest voting center is two hours away because Republicans closed down as many voting centers as they possibly could and waiting in line to vote takes hours.
Honestly, they're real shit people constantly trying to stop people from voting. Republicans hate it when people vote.
I like the idea on the surface, but no, I don't want to be forced to vote for a few reasons:
A lack of voter engagement is it's own outcome of a vote.
Freedom of speech means being able to refuse to speak, and voting is one of the most powerful forms of speech most people have.
I'm not a fan of the government forcing me to do something I might not believe in.
There are many people who don't want to vote for trump but refuse to vote for Democrat and if forced might hold their nose and vote trump.
Making election day a Federal holiday and guaranteeing everyone has the option to vote would be more effective and have a better outcome.
Edit: Several replies are basically saying the same thing: you can turn in an empty ballot. But the exact same thing can be accomplished much easier by staying at home. You can't force people to go somewhere, or even mail in a ballot... they have a hard enough time getting people to do the census. Also, a candidate such as trump would refuse the results of any election they lost that didn't have 100% turnout, especially if the margin of loss is less than the percentage that didn't vote.
Again, I do like the spirit of the idea, but in order to make it work it would take more effort than it is worth since staying home accomplishes the same thing as a blank ballot.
Trump campaign: "[Whitmer] undermines the integrity of elections by increasing the opportunity for individuals to register to vote even though they are ineligible to do so"
There is a myth strewn about by Republicans that Democrats encourage non-citizens to vote. There is absolutely no evidence of any coordinated campaign to do this, but of you ask most Republicans they insist it is true. So they equate any voter registration campaign by Democrats to "illegals voting in droves".
Voters who are military veterans favor the Republican Party: 63% identify with or lean toward the GOP, while far fewer (35%) are Democrats or Democratic leaners.
Bar chart showing that among registered voters, military veterans are more likely to associate with the GOP by a wide margin. The Republican Party’s relative advantage among veterans is seen among both older and younger voters. Aamong Black voters there is no difference in the partisanship of veterans and non-veterans.
Non-veteran voters tilt more Democratic: About half (51%) associate with the Democratic Party, while 46% affiliate with the Republican Party.
I suppose that there might be more going on here than just that. I understand that a higher proportion of older voters tend to vote, and older voters also tend to vote more-Republican so generic get-out-the-vote efforts might favor the Democrats.