Arizona Election Lottery: A Very Bad Idea

From Newsmax:

Those who make the effort in this southwest U.S. state will decide the fate of a controversial measure that would award a $1 million prize to one lucky resident, just for casting a ballot in an Arizona primary or general election.

The initiative is the brainchild of Mark Osterloh, an ophthalmologist and lawyer from Tucson, who came up with the proposition to try to boost dismal voter turnout in Arizona and across the country in recent elections.

During the last mid-term election - when the U.S. presidency is not up for grabs - Arizona officials said about 56 percent of the state's registered voters showed up at the polls. That same figure nationally was just 40 percent.

"We've got a real problem that everybody recognizes (and) we've got a real solution," Osterloh said. "It's like being able to win a door prize at a church social. You walk into the polls, get what amounts to a ticket and you may win a really big prize. Who can resist something like that?" [...]

In Arizona, critics say the ballot proposal denigrates the lofty ideals of democracy and fear it will bring out ill-informed voters for the wrong reasons.

"People should not be motivated to vote by greed. People should be motivated to vote by wanting to do their civic duty or decide important issues," said Curtis Gans, director of American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate, in Washington.

Besides that, what is going to happen when a candidate comes along and says, "Vote for me, and I'll make sure that you have a better chance of winning something at the next election lottery"? It is going to create an association between voting and receiving something from the government. Won't that sort of atmosphere favor candidates promising government handouts? And isn't it ironic that this sort of skewing of the political process involves a lottery, something which holds out the false promise of easy riches?

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