(Via Election Law Blog) Once upon a time, I dreamt up a scheme to incent taxpayers to submit their tax returns on-time: have each return submitted act as an entry into a national lottery.
It seems that someone has had a similar idea, with respect to increasing voter turnout:
Osterloh’s initiative, the first initiative to be certified by Arizona election officials for the November general election ballot, would use unclaimed Arizona Lottery prize money to provide a $1 million reward to one randomly selected voter after each general election. A voter would get one entry in the drawing for voting in either the primary or general election or two if voting both times.
Osterloh acknowledged that the measure would likely face legal scrutiny and a possible challenge mounted by interest groups who oppose broader electoral participation. But he said it would survive a challenge. “Obviously this is going to be taken up to the Supreme Court.”
It’s an intriguing idea. I also note with some sadness the phrase “a possible challenge mounted by interest groups who oppose broader electoral participation”. It seems to me that there are far too many folks in this country who would prefer to see individuals who do not share their views not vote so easily.