Should the US government force citizens to vote?

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During a town hall meeting in Cleveland on Wednesday, President Obama had an idea of making voting in the United States compulsory.Obama suggested compulsory voting while suggesting ways to counteract money in politics. "It would be transformative if everybody voted," Obama said. However, according to New Hampshire's Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlan, “Voting is a right to be exercised, but not forced." Mr. Scanlan says. “In a perfect world everyone would vote because it’s so important. I believe every state should strive to generate maximum voter turnout but stop short of forcing people to vote.”

This relates to AP Gov because we have talked about the abilities of the national government- as well as how they can pass laws 'necessary and proper' which could be argued to include compulsory voting.

I can see both sides. One way, having maximum voter turnout can help improve the situation in government- Congress has a very low approval rating yet nearly every incumbent is always re-elected. It can also be effective as a buffer against money in politics- advertisement doesn't influence everyone, and the more people that vote, the more likely it is that people who are voting aren't influenced by this advertisement. However, there's also the fact that sometimes, people just can't vote. They don't have the time or the ability to get to the polls. Honestly, I do not believe voting should be compulsory, I think it should be strongly emphasized as very important- but not mandatory.