As we Americans approach another presidential election, we might take a trip into the distant past. A time before there was a United States, the era of British colonies.

Many of the colonies had mandatory voting laws. A qualified voter who did not show up at the polls on Election Day was often punished.* He might be fined a cow, two pigs, four or five chickens, even a bushel of corn or wheat. Perhaps wares from his business such as clothing, leather goods, paper, or an in-kind service to be performed were levied.

Today, because of age requirements and immigration status, roughly thirty percent of the total U.S. population is unqualified to vote. Of the remaining 236 million eligible voters, about 168 million can cast a ballot. In other words, nearly one-third of qualified Americans is not registered to and do not vote. As a side note, approximately 10 million citizens who could have voted in 2020 did not.

Perhaps we should revisit our history and fine those who do not vote.

(* Boorstin, Daniel J., “The Americans: The Colonial Experience,” © Copyright 1958, A Caravelle Edition, Vintage Books, are published by Alfred A. Knoff, Inc. and Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously by Random House of Canada, Limited, Toronto.)