@firefly,
A little late on this argument but I thought I'd put my two cents in anyways. While I do believe that every citizen should put forth the effort to research the different candidates from as many sources as possible to attempt to avoid strict biases and then cast their vote, I don't believe that every person should go to the polls even if all they know is what they heard from the person over at the barbershop telling the barber what he/she thought of "x" candidate.
I lived in Brazil for a time where it is the law to vote. If you don't you have your social security revoked until you pay a large fine. While the concept behind it is clearly for a good cause, what it led to was the president always being the man who paid off the most voters and/or had the catchiest song about his campaign.
Misinformed voting is much worse than not voting.