Connecticut’s Old State Hosts Discussion of Universal Voting with Authors Miles Rapoport and EJ Dionne, April 19th at Noon

Hartford, Conn – Americans are required to pay taxes, serve on juries, get their kids vaccinated, get driver’s licenses, and sometimes go to war for their country. So why not ask–or require–every American to vote?  At Noon Tuesday, April 19^th, Connecticut’s Old State House will explore this revolutionary (for America, anyway) concept with the authors of a compelling new book on the subject.  Visitors are invited to attend in person and the book talk will also be live streamed. Those interested in attending are encouraged to register here.

In 100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting, E.J. Dionne and Miles Rapoport argue that universal participation in our elections should be a cornerstone of our system. It would be the surest way to protect against voter suppression and the active disenfranchisement of a large share of our citizens. And it would create a system true to the Declaration of Independence’s aspirations by calling for a government based on the consent of all of the governed.

Rapoport will appear in person at the Old State House and Dionne will join via videoconference to discuss their premise and its impact on American democracy and elections.  The program, co-sponsored by Everyday Democracy, will be followed by a book signing and light lunchtime refreshments.

Universal voting is not as radical or utopian as it sounds: in Australia, where everyone is required to vote (Australians can vote “none of the above,” but they have to show up), 91.9 percent of Australians voted in the last major election in 2019, versus 60.1 percent in America’s 2016 presidential race. Australia hosts voting-day parties and actively celebrates this key civic duty.

Miles Rapoport is a Former Connecticut Secretary of The State and Senior Practice Fellow in American Democracy at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance.  E.J. Dionne, Jr. is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute as well as a columnist for the Washington Post.

This event marks the beginning of a new planned “Book Talk” series at Connecticut’s Old State House, and serves as a preview for a four-part Conversations series on voting and elections by the Connecticut Democracy Center, home-based at the Old State House.

Located in historic downtown Hartford at 800 Main St., Connecticut’s Old State House served as a seat of government for the Constitution State from 1796 to 1878. Today, this restored historic State Capitol also serves as a museum and the Greater Hartford Information Center and is managed as a public-private partnership between the Connecticut General Assembly and the Connecticut Democracy Center.   For more information about Connecticut’s Old State House, virtual school programs, and upcoming online and in-person events, follow Connecticut’s Old State House on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and visit the museum’s website at ctoldstatehouse.org.

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