Who here knows people who didn't bother to vote in November, 2016?

[MineralMan]

I do, and some of them would have voted for Democrats had they gone to the polls. Some said, "I just can't vote for her." If asked why, they had no real answer to offer. Others said, "It doesn't matter, really, if I vote or not. Hillary will win anyhow." I tried to convince both groups that their vote was really important, but they didn't listen to me, either.

I'm betting that most people on DU know people who failed to cast their vote in November. In states like MI, WI, and PA, that made the difference, I think. People who didn't vote, but who would have voted for Democrats if they had voted, cost Hillary Clinton the election.

So, what can we do to get those people, along with others we don't know who did the same, to the polls in 2018 and 2020. Will the awfulness of the Republicans being in power be enough? I don't think so. I think we need to work our asses off on turning out those people and others like them.

When? Now. No accusations. No recriminations. No anger. Just convincing arguments, of which there are many.

We can't allow what happened in 2016 to happen again. We must do everything we can to reverse this horrible trend.

[treestar]

1. they could vote down ticket

they could have voted so that at least Congress would be Democratic and be able to stop Orange Hitler better. If they disliked Hillary that much. People do not pay enough attention to lower offices and then complain all politicians are corrupt.

I try to tell them the POTUS does not "run the country." You see that and people must believe it.

[MineralMan]

3. If they don't come to the polling place, we all lose.

It's not good enough to vote Democratic down ticket. That won't do.

[leftstreet]

2. You have to start by dropping the 'didn't bother to'

Starting with a presupposition that the the potential voter is to be blamed as lazy or unpatriotic or some such is a lose

[MineralMan]

4. I disagree. Those who "don't bother to vote" are a big part of

the problem. There is a choice to make. If you make no choice, you have made a choice.

[leftstreet]

6. 'How do we get nonvoters to vote?' That's all it needs to be

[MineralMan]

7. So, you didn't answer my question. Do you know people

who didn't vote?

[leftstreet]

12. Oh Gawdz yes!

Given that half the population doesn't vote - we ALL know someone who didn't

[MineralMan]

13. OK. Then, it sounds like your work is cut out for you in 2018 and 2020.

Good luck.

[cwydro]

11. Spot on.

Thank you.

[treestar]

5. yet they are being irresponsible

and ignorant and lazy. The founders gave us a republic we could run. If it weren't for us, the voters, not paying attention, it would not be like it is.

They have to spend money, cater to, and all kinds of things to get us out. Yet it is our privilege and responsibility to go out. And if we don't like the candidates, not treat them as if they are the only ones on offer, but campaign for others.

There has to be a gentle way to tell people that. You can't not vote because you think you've been insulted and get anything out of it.

[leftstreet]

10. How to recruit 'irresponsible, ignorant, lazy' people to vote

[treestar]

15. convince them of how valuable it is

I was in the Museum of the American Revolution and it had some pretty good presentations. About how we have the power.

We are the reason they spend so much money. Yet if we appreciated what we have in being American, we would get more involved. It wouldn't take expensive ad campaigns to get our attention. As one presentation said, the power went from King George to us.

And now we have even more power than the voters of that time. We don't have to be white male property owners. I wonder what turnout was like back then, when they had just fought to win the system we now take too much for granted.

[MineralMan]

16. You do it by talking to them and addressing their

concerns and problems. You don't do it by shrugging it off.

[FM123]

8. If you make no choice you are really saying "go ahead, you can make my choice for me"

[cwydro]

9. Don't "know" anyone personally thank goodness.

I do "know of" those who didn't. Colin Kaepernick comes to mind. And I remember seeing people post right here how they would "vote their conscience" since they were in a "safe state." Ugh.

I do remember the Hillary haters here. Very well. And as you replied to me in another thread, I do know there are still Hillary haters here.

[oberliner]

14. I know people who wrote in "Bernie Sanders" in the general

Using a similar argument to the one you have listed here.

[MineralMan]

18. Yes. I know a couple who voted for Jill Stein for the same reasons.

I have talked to them since that election. They realize their mistake now. They won't do that again. I didn't call them names. I talked to them about their decision to vote that way. I asked them how they feel about that now.

[oberliner]

20. In some states it actually didn't matter

I think the folks I know who did this would not have done so if they lived in a swing state.

There is something fundamentally flawed about a system where your vote only counts if you live in one of a handful of states.

[MineralMan]

28. And yet, exactly that happened in WI, MI, and PA.

Those three states, which were won narrowly by Trump, could have gone for Hillary Clinton. They didn't. More's the freaking pity!

[bettyellen]

32. I'm hoping that idea dies- because many voted for Trump thinking their vote wouldn't matter- as a

Protest against the swamp or "the establishment" and they treated the election like a joke- and in doing so, elected the worst joke ever. If anything should sober them up, this result should.

It also matters down ticket, and it matters how many votes everywhere as it is seen as a mandate. Part of what has to be examined is- why we're liberals of all people so afraid to give HRC a mandate? Why did they fall for the "cornation" crap like never before and want so desperately to deny her the win? We all saw it, and it was hard to understand the reasoning behind it.

[cwydro]

21. There were some here who posted they'd do exactly that.

I don't know if they're still here or not. I hope not.

[lapucelle]

17. People died to secure and protect our right to vote.

People all over the world continue to fight and die to secure that right for themselves and others.

I engage with young people quite a bit, and I always make this point when doing registration and GOTV drives. It puts the importance of exercising the franchise in a new perspective for some who take their rights for granted. It's patriotism at its most basic. We owe that duty to our country and to each other as citizens.

[MineralMan]

19. Yes. That's a good way to appeal to some people.

Thanks!

[lapucelle]

24. I also send first time voters to OnTheIssues.org

so they can educate themselves about the candidates and issues and take the Voter Match Quiz.

In my experience, there have been lots of young people who think they are Republicans (like their parents) who are shocked to discover that they are Democrats or Liberals.

http://www.ontheissues.org/Quiz/Quiz2016.asp?quiz=Pres2016

[MineralMan]

25. Good idea!

[neeksgeek]

22. I just had this talk with my partner.

[MineralMan]

23. Thanks!

[neeksgeek]

49. I thought she was going to vote in 2016.

Time got away from her. And yeah, she "couldn't vote for Hillary, who was going to win anyway."

She's a former Republican, who found George W ridiculous, and changed her registration to independent, and voted for Obama twice. She truly believes he was a great President (as do I).

She's Mexican-American. Trump is horribly offensive to her whole family. I don't think she'll sit out another election, not while these Schutzstaffel are trying to turn us into the fourth Reich.

[marlakay]

26. I know a few in CA

but that state went for Hillary.

Its those middle states where we need every vote.

[MineralMan]

27. Here in Minnesota, Hillary won, despite people

choosing not to vote or voting third party or write-in. But, it was way closer than it should have been. In our neighboring state of Wisconsin, Hillary lost narrowly by less than the number of votes for Jill Stein. A lot of people in Wisconsin thought Hillary would win without their votes. They were woefully wrong, since that was one of the states that tipped the election to Trump.

Worse, we also lost a Senate election we should have won.

Yes, California went for Hillary. She would have won by an even bigger margin, though, if more people had voted for her.

It's never a good idea to depend on other voters in an election. Every vote counts.

[radical noodle]

33. No one should ever think they can sit it out

because they're in a blue state... no matter how blue they think it is. This is a freaking catastrophe and they're still trying to sit back and justify it because they think they're safe.e

[MineralMan]

37. Exactly. Tell them that.

Their votes matter in every office on the ballot. Every last one. We make a mistake if we think elections are just about Presidents. Too many of us don't think beyond that.

We need to start talking to people now.

[lapucelle]

46. We're voting here in NY in November

for or against a referendum that is on the ballot for a state constitutional convention, a measure that is automatically put before the voters every 20 years. If we do have a convention, any proposed amendments will be put before the voters in future elections.

Unions are strongly encouraging a "no" vote because they are afraid that union rights will be endangered by proposed amendments if a state constitutional convention is held. In addition, public education advocacy groups are worried about amendments that will cut funding of schools.

So this particular off-year election is actually extremely important to the welfare of middle class voters in my state. Get out the word, and GOTV!

[lunatica]

29. The people I know should have learned this all on their own by now

If they still need to be cajoled, then I would be wasting my time.

At the time I told them all that sometimes you have to vote against someone, and so many of them said, "They're all alike!". So if they still think that then they're irredeemable.

[MineralMan]

34. Well, maybe they have learned something and are worth

talking to again. If you convince only one to go and vote for Democrats, you've doubled your vote. Just one. I don't consider that to be a waste of time at all. Think about it.

[lunatica]

41. Too much water under that bridge

They hated me for trying to reason with them before the elections. We no longer talk about politics because they avoid me because they can't fight facts which I'm always armed with.

I don't see many of them feeling contrite. They still claim Hillary would be just as bad. They literally run away from me. And I never got angry with them or belittle them if you're thinking that's why they avoid me. It's because I don't use platitudes to present my ideas. I use facts and reason. My life is rampant with people who run away from facts.

I've come to realize that most people really don't want to know what's going on. They'd rather live in their own world where the big bad wolf never shows up.

[radical noodle]

30. Yes, I do

People from NY who had Hillary for a senator. They admitted to me that she was a great senator for them, but somehow this time they "just weren't that into her." FWIW, they didn't care for Bernie or Trump either. They just stayed home.

[MineralMan]

35. Ask them how they feel now.

It's time to start working on people like that. 2018 is just around the corner, and we're going to need every voter in every state and congressional district to go to the polls.

[bdtrppr6]

31. my fucking mother in law

in goddamn FLORIDA! thank god i'm in PDX and will never see her face to face.

[MineralMan]

36. That's the only person you know who did that?

Really?

[hfojvt]

38. From the map it looks like we hafe it tough

Republicans only have 8 Senate seats to defend some of them in places like Wyoming, Utah, Texas, and Alabama. Meanwhile Democrats have 25 seats to defend, in states like Montana, North Dakota, Indiana and West Virginia. CNN has it that we are even vulnerable in Ohio and Wisconsin. Those were in their top ten list of Senate seats likely to switch parties - 2 Republicans and 8 Democrats.

Perhaps instead of trying to get more people to the polls, we could try to win more of the people who are gonna vote anyway.

[MineralMan]

40. Here's something to think about: In Georgia,

there was a congressional special election in their 6th Congressional District. A very good Democrat was running, and barely got defeated. 40% of registered Democrats in that district did not vote in that special election. If only a quarter of those had voted, there would be a new Democrat in the House.

Getting more people to the polls is how we will win enough of those elections to regain control of Congress. It is the only way that is going to happen.

40% of registered Democrats did not vote in Georgia's CD-6. We lost. We would have won fairly easily, even in a Red state with a history of electing Republicans in that district.

Getting out the vote makes all the difference.

[hfojvt]

45. and presumably there was a GOTV effort

that district barely voted for Trump, just 48% to 47%.

Hard to believe turnout was that low since total turnout was 80% of what it was in 2016, which is pretty high. 50.000 more people voted in 2017 than voted in 2014. As a percentage that is 25% more. The turnout was already phenomenal and you expect to get more?

[MineralMan]

47. Yes. I do expect to get more.

My goal is 100% turnout of registered Democrats. That has always been my goal, so I have always participated in GOTV efforts.

Will I reach my goal? Never. Will I keep trying? Always.

[Tree-Hugger]

39. Yes - in Pennsylvania

I know a few who didn't vote because "it's a safe blue state anyway." Also one who voted for Trump as a joke because, again, PA is a "safe" blue state. And Jill Stein humpers and some Bernie write in because....omg....PA is safely blue and they could vote their "conscience" while remaining confident that the state would go for Hillary. My ex-coworker and her husband were talking about vote trading because PA was "safe." I don't 100% remember what they meant by vote trading, though.

So.....as you can see, that worked out very well for PA.

[MineralMan]

42. Exactly. Three states with very, very narrow Trump victories.

It did not have to be that way. It should never again be that way. It's time to get to work!

[HipChick]

43. Sick to my stomach...

Everyday I think about it...can't vote for her, vote for Stein as a protest vote....well, look where that got us...sorry but it makes me angry every time I think about it

[MineralMan]

44. I know. I feel the same way.

Before taking a hard line on a particular candidate for any office, it's important to consider the alternative if that candidate loses. A lot depends on where you live, really. While the choice in any general election is really binary, the effects of a Republican win are so negative that even an iffy Democrat is almost always a much better choice.

It's fine, in progressive states and districts, to work hard to get the most progressive candidate possible to the General Election, but that only applies where such a candidate has a strong chance to win. If that's not the case, then finding a Democrat who can actually win and who will vote as a Democrat is far more important than any single issue.

I'm still waiting for any candidate with whom I agree on every issue. I expect to die waiting for such a candidate. In the meantime, I'm voting for the better candidate who can win in every election and in every district. That better candidate is always a Democrat.

I have zero patience for those who let single issues dictate their vote. If I did that, I'd never be able to vote. I have lots of issues that are very important to me. But, the general direction of government overrides each of them at times. I want movement in the direction I think is best. I will never get that if a Republican wins. Never.

[Nay]

48. The Australian way is the easiest -- if you don't vote you have to pay a fine.

I realize that this would be anathema in the U.S., but it works well.

Not that it would ever be implemented anyway; it seems like the goal of the GOP is to keep as many people away from the polls as possible. And if Democrats, by some miracle, regained power and by another miracle were to make such a law, everybody would be up in arms about their 'freedumb.'

There are tons of ways to get people to the polls, but no sensible modifications will ever be done while there are enough Republicans to howl against it.