Arizona election lottery

**solypsist** · 07-17-2006, 16:59

If someone offered you a chance at $1 million just for going to the polls, would you do it?

It appears that Arizonans will get the chance to decide for themselves. A measure to create an unusual state lottery appears to have enough signatures to be on the Nov. 7 ballot.

The proposal by Tucson physician Mark Osterloh would require state election officials to pull one ballot at random after each primary and general election. That person would win $1 million.

http://www.azcentral.com/abgnews/art...ttery0525.html

thoughts? would this be a good precedent to introduce if it actually becomes a reality?

**Rodion Romanovich** · 07-17-2006, 20:00

well, as long as the winner doesn't have to have voted for the winning president, I think it sounds ok. Some other place (in South East Asia somewhere IIRC) they have a punishment for not voting. A high percentage voting is very important for making the vote interesting - but of course blank votes must be allowed in such cases.

**Redleg** · 07-17-2006, 20:18

Originally Posted by solypsist

thoughts? would this b a good precedent to introduce if it actually becomes a reality?

I like what I know of the Austrialian Law concerning the requirement to go to the poll station.

Frankly with the voting percentage going down in the United States - I am for just about anything that will encourage more voters to show up. The state will have to be very careful with enacting such a lottery system to insure a fair and random drawing of the winner.

As Legio states,"A high percentage voting is very important for making the vote interesting - but of course blank votes must be allowed in such cases."

**Papewaio** · 07-17-2006, 23:59

In Australia you have to turn up to the voting station and get your name crossed off or face a fine. However it seems that once people have actually gone to the effort of getting their name crossed off very few leave the polling station without voting, some still donkey vote however and that is fine.

Also the method of counting votes is slightly different to other countries so you can vote a protest vote with a minor candiate without hindering your preferred two party candiate from winning. Aussie voting system

**Aenlic** · 07-18-2006, 13:41

I'd be for anything fair - emphasis on fair - which encourages people to vote. Things are so bad right now in the USA that single issue voters have way too much control. Both parties pander to the ideologues who vote based on things like flag burning amendments and gay marriage and pro-Choice and any of a number of other "wedge" issues every election season. Meanwhile, actually important issues just don't get dealt with or are dealt with under the table and in backrooms. More voters would mean less power for the wedge issues and more interest in actually discussing the things that matter.

I'm not in favor of any kind of law requiring people to vote. That's just steps over the line of unnecessary abridgement of personal freedom - even the freedom to be an idiot and not participate in the political process which affects everything in every corner of our lives.