During the Viet Nam war, in the 1970's, the federal government used a lottery to decide who should be drafted next. To be drafted meant to be inducted into the army--whether you wanted to be in the army or not. If someone was drafted and refused to serve, he was jailed.* Young men were eligible for the draft at the age of 19. There was a "lottery" each year, broadcast on television. The government--the Selective Service--put each day of the year into a hat, or some device--just as in a lottery for a prize or jackpot . These dates were people's birthdays. If they pulled your birthday out of the hat first, you would be the first to be drafted.
Young men are still required to register for the draft, although no one is being drafted into the army. The army is all volunteer now. The government still requires registration for the draft in case of a war--a war we would need more soldiers to win.
*Muhammad Ali served a prison term for refusing to be drafted. He was much discussed, and admired by many for having the courage of his own convictions.
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