Miles Rapoport writes that we in Maine should consider universal voting (“Mainers should open their minds to universal voting,” Sept. 20), imposing a requirement for citizens to cast their ballots on Election Day. Generally, Americans do not like to be told what they should be required to do. Comparisons to other countries, especially newer democracies where the newly won right to vote is cherished, have been advanced to suggest that we in the United States have become too sanguine about this right. But this fails to recognize that those people who choose not to mark ballots are in fact voting their willingness to accept either side of an election.

The imposition of universal voting would carry with it at least two elements that likely would see opposition in some areas. First, there would be an argument for increased enforcement of voter registration and identification laws; and second, it would encourage ballot harvesting.

If indeed universal voting is to be implemented, then two additional ballot boxes should be added to each office or public question that is up for decision. Citizens should have the right to indicate by ballot if their preference is for “Either” or “Neither.” It would be interesting and informative to see how many votes the latter gets.

Michael Smith
Wells