That's why it's a so sad to see the low voter turnout in so many elections. A number of countries do it this way, but frankly, I'm glad I don't live in those countries. Fact is, there's little to vote on these days. The legislative districts are skewed toward one party and incumbents rarely face credible challengers. I can't blame someone for not going to the polls when there isn't anything to vote for.
People tend to do what is in their interest.
States where citizens can place laws directly on the ballot enjoy about 5 percent higher voter turn-out than the other states. Just the other day, there was a local election in Nashville, Tennessee. Yet, Nashville's election saw a 33 percent increase in voter participation. Term limits opened up a majority of the 40 council positions as well as the mayor's office. So the people of Nashville had a lot of candidates running and much more competitive elections.