Devon is researching voter turnout. He found information from two sources. In recent elections, turnout has ranged from about 50
% to 60% of the voting-age population. But there is a simple change the US could make to boost turnout dramatically, something that has worked in at least 26 other democracies. The government could make Americans vote. President Barack Obama has endorsed the idea, and yet it has never taken hold in the US, for a variety of reasons. But many experts think it's a good idea. . . . In the US, compulsory voting has started to enter the mainstream conversation. In May of last year, Obama publicly endorsed compulsory voting for the first time, telling a crowd in Cleveland that "it would be transformative if everybody voted" specifically because of the class-bias effect. –"Half of Americans Probably Won’t Vote – But Requiring Them to Would Change That,” Chris Weller No one is dragged to the polls against his or her will, and no one is thrown in jail for refusing to cast a ballot. Instead, a modest fine (about $20 in Australia) is levied on people who fail to show up and have no good excuse for their absence. –"A Feasible Roadmap to Compulsory Voting,” Nicholas Stephanopoulos Which statement best combines ideas from the passages? The United States could use fines as Australia does to increase voter turnout. Australia charges people a minimal fine if they choose not to vote in an election. Only about half of the voting-age population in the United States votes in elections. Leaders have found ways to increase voter turnout in Australia and the United States.
