Sometimes officials ask the right question but choose the wrong answer.

In other cases, the premise is flawed, which makes the outcome inevitably poor.

House Bill 2718 falls under the former umbrella. Barely.

In February, Rep. Maurice West II, D-Rockford, introduced the bill he calls the Facilitating Voting By All Eligible Citizens Act. In short, it would make Illinois the first state to have mandatory voting. Sort of.

“Provides that all eligible citizens shall cast a ballot in every general election. Provides that an eligible citizen who casts a blank ballot in a general election shall satisfy the requirement. Provides that no fine, fee or penalty shall be assessed if an eligible citizen does not cast a ballot in a general election.”

The bill text doesn’t stipulate who is considered

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