What do you think about people who don't vote?

[undeterred]

This baffles me.

I'm not talking about the people who are absolutely clueless and have no idea what's going on in the world- they don't pay attention to the corporate media much less other news- they probably shouldn't vote.

There are some who just believe it doesn't matter what they do- the vote does not truly affect anything.

Today I met someone who was very knowledgable about politics but who does not vote as a matter of principle. He chooses not to participate in a system that he sees as deeply flawed.

I have to vote and I want to believe it still matters.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. those people have a defeatist attitude

I work with one. He says that all politicians are crooks and that they are out to screw the working man and that there's nothing we can do about it. I say that there is, but its like knocking your head against a brick wall.

But I have had success-I explained the importance of voting to a fellow who subsequently registered and became a political activist in a small way. So there is hope.

[mike_c]

2. that's their right....

If you would defend someone's right to vote, you must equally defend their right to choose not to vote unless you want to make voting compulsory for all. Look at it this way-- at least they didn't vote for the fascists!

But seriously-- I'm sure you wouldn't criticize someone for exercising their right to vote. If not voting is equally their right, then why criticize them for exercising that right? You (and I) make different choices, but as long as we want others to respect our choices, we should respect theirs, IMO.

[City Lights]

6. You have a point.

All I'll add is that the people who choose not to vote shouldn't complain about the current state of America either (at least not to me :grr:). Unfortunately some of the loudest complainers I've met have sheepishly said, "I don't vote" when I've asked who they voted for.

[Gyre]

3. I think it's a result of fear of dissapointment, and/or disgust.

Less invested, less pain at the outcome. I see the ostrich mentality everywhere these days.

Gyre

[napi21]

I've heard this too! I usually agree, to some degree with the

"all politicans are crooked" statement, but some are worse than others. If you're happy with your country and the way it's being operated now, then don't bother to try to change it. If you are dissatisfied, then isn't it worth at least trying the alternative?

The folks that drive me the most crazy are those who bitch constantly about the Admin, the congress etc, then then say, hey man It's not my fault, I don't ever vote!!!!! I've come close to smacking them! My response to that group is ALWAYS "If you don't vote, you have NO RIGHT to even speak about politics!!!!!

[Endangered Specie]

4. No right to complain about anything

remotely related to politics.

[undeterred]

5. I saw a bumper sticker that said: If you don't vote, don't whine n/t

[Devlzown]

7. Some have good reasons.

I don't vote in every election. If my local mayoral election, for example, is a choice between two candidates who are essentially the same, what's the point in voting? It's a popularity contest -- nothing more. Some people think national politics are the same and they have some valid points.

[Sparkman]

8. Patriotism used to be civic participation and positive activism, like soup

kitchen and libraby volunteering. The government's repressive nature can be felt every election, when millions of felons are denied their sufferage. Millions of immigrants are also denied the right to vote!
THis is very very serious, it skews governance to the right, to the wealthiest classes! The governments arbitrary denial of civil rights and civil liberties has been exposed in the ideas surrounding the CRIMINALIZATION OF THE POOR.
How can we claim democracy with only 25% of adults participating! In my book, it's BIG LIE NUMBER ONE. The U.S. is not a democracy, but a wannabe. And until all participate, whether by choice of by repression, we have a plutocracy, not a democracy. And if we don't think that we're wealthy, get a world perspective on our living standard.

[Coyote_Bandit]

9. Actually I think everyone who has the right of suffrage

should be *required* to vote and that national election days should be a national holiday. Voters, of course, would be free to vote for themselves or for DaffyDuck if they could not stomach the candidates. I believe Britain does something like this. This would make it a bit more difficult to disenfranchise the poor and minorities. It would also make the level of support (or lack thereof) of the prevailing candidates painfully obvious.

Of course, I also happen to think the two party system is antiquated and inherently breeds partisanship rather than cooperation. We would do much better under a multi-party system where coalition building, cooperation and compromise are required to govern. The factions necessary to create such a multi-party system are already well entrenched. We just refuse to use the labels and acknowledge the divisions.

[marions ghost]

15. agreed ...

both of your suggestions would give non-voters more incentive to participate. More options to choose from would be a huge improvement, and the promise of "coalition-building" would make many more people feel that their vote could make a difference.

And people have to at least show up at the polls (while reserving the right to refuse the options at that point). A much healthier system. Conservatives don't support these "radical" ideas of course. They depend too much on having it the way it is.

[undeterred]

16. Australia requires people to vote

I agree that we would be much better off with more viable parties.

[City Lights]

10. I'm dumbfounded when I find out the intelligent ones don't bother.

I good friend of mine told me her husband, who is a Physics professor at a major US university, usually votes for Iggy Pop. She told me she thought he was throwing his vote away and she couldn't do that. So she voted for the chimp. Even though she disagrees with him on almost everything, she felt he'd do a better job in the war on terra. :eyes:

[chalky]

11. "He chooses not to participate in a system that he sees as deeply flawed."

He's kidding himself. The very fact that he lives here, being constricted or helped by policies created by "this system", consuming services created by "this system", and maneuvering through an infrastructure developed by "this system", means---he is PARTICIPATING IN THIS SYSTEM.

He can say he didn't vote all he wants, but he actually did. He voted for whoever won.

[sam sarrha]

12. If they really dont care, i would rather that they didnt vote..

[ConfuZed]

13. If they don't like the two candidates I respect them for not voting

Just like if my representatives don't fight digital voting machines I doubt I will vote if I'm forced to use one its not going to count or be re-counted anyway.

[ist rad]

29. indeed- if people make an informed chocie not to vote, it's every bit as--

--valid as making an informed choice to support a particular candidate. Even countries with compulsory voting offer a "none of the above" option on balot papers.

[ellenfl]

14. my so is one of those. i would like him to

vote because he shares my politics but i can't get him to. he is also of the opinion that it doesn't matter. however, he never complains about the gummint. altho' we share politics, he does not share my passion for social justice . . . and against the fascisti running this country.

we have finally figured out why he gets all the political mail and i get none . . . even tho' he is not registered to vote! we get many political publications which are all in his name. he gets them for me mostly and i'm not sure he even reads them, but he keeps paying for them! what a guy! i don't think anyone in his family votes either. they, however, have the luxury of living in a blue state (the home of kerry and kennedy).

ellen fl

[demodonkey]

17. I would tell them, Voting still matters. Don't JUST vote, GET INVOLVED.

If you think our Electoral System is going down the toilet, roll up your sleeves, reach in with your bare hands and GRAB IT (and hang on!) -- before it washes all the way down to the sewer!

-- LEARN about what is wrong with our Electoral Process & help figure out ideas to repair it.
-- JOIN - and really WORK with - some of the many groups pushing for true reform.
-- RUN FOR OFFICE (Andy Stephenson did!) Once elected, don't just go along to get along... make a difference.
-- NEVER, never, EVER 'forget' to VOTE. Participating is the main way, no the ONLY way we as citizens can reclaim and keep our rightful control of the system.

As originally edited, the last line of the pre-2004 election version of the wonderful Votergate movie (www.votergate.tv) went to our Andy: "Every day I get hundreds of calls from people; 'What can I do? What can I do?' Well, here's what you can do -- VOTE."

(fade to black... "People Have the Power")

[BiggJawn]

18. One of those "I'm sending a MESSAGE by not Voting" fools?

I run across one once-a-while. My response is always
"Oh, and what message would THAT be? That you're a pseudo-intellectual LAZY ASS who hasn't got the balls to admit that you just couldn't tear yourself away from Sim-City before the Polls closed?"

[Media_Lies_Daily]

19. What do you think about people who continue to vote using....

...electronic voting machines when we know that the NeoCons control the machines, the software that runs the machines, and the results?

Until the voting process is corrected to allow for independent test and verification, we're going to see the same election results we've seen in 2000, 2002, and 2004.

[BornaDem]

20. I think they are wasting their time...

and energy because your vote will not count. This is the reason I don't intend to vote ever again - or at least until they do away with the machines.

[demodonkey]

22. Change it, people, CHANGE IT. Join the fight for Election Reform.

They are buying those rigged voting machines with YOUR money.

And the more people who VOTE (especially against the neo-cons), the more chance we have of finding the fraud when votes are flipped and stolen. It wil be pretty easy for someone like Bush to say "mandate" when only Republican voters are coming out to the polls.

One of these days one of these fraudsters is going to screw up big-time and the more voters who put their votes into the system the more chance there is of that happening. Flood them with votes, especially progressive ones. If nothing else it will throw the numbers and demographics off again and again at each election, giving us reason to keep screaming "foul" and to keep demanding fair, open, audited voting systems.

[dajoki]

21. the people...

in your first paragraph are the problem. they are too easily influenced by rightwing spin and MSM bullshit. but i do defend everyone's right to vote, people should at least try to go in the booth with some knowledge of what they're doing though.

[More Than A Feeling]

23. Sadly, some of the first kind do anyway

I know a guy who didn't even know who Karl Rove was until I told him a couple of weeks ago, but pulled the lever for Bush.

It's really hard to keep from telling him he has blood on his hands.

[undeterred]

24. There should be a political literacy test at the entrance to every poll

Which candidate cannot account for an entire year that he was supposed to be in military service?

Why is the US waging war against Iraq (and if you say because "they" attacked us you don't get tot come in!)

[cestpaspossible]

25. I don't respect them.

Not voting is as idiotic as not brushing your teeth.

[LWolf]

26. I have a son who does not vote.

We have debated, civilly and with care and respect on both sides, voting issues. He knows where I stand, and acknowledges all the points I make. That doesn't change the fact that he believes that our political system is broken and corrupt, and that he would be perpetuating a corrupt system if he participated in it. He honestly doesn't believe that votes matter; he sees the electoral process as kool-aid for the masses, keeping them busy while TPTB do whatever the hell they want behind the scenes. He believes that the U.S. will eventually self-destruct, or be destroyed, and be replaced by some other flawed system, which will start out with hope and, no matter how long it may work or last, end the same way.

He believes that I am an idealist, and an optimist, and he loves me for it. But he doesn't join me. He is my son, but he is a man, and his own person. I don't have to agree with him, but I do have to allow him his own pov. What I think about people who don't vote depends on the reasons why they don't. If they have put time, energy, and careful thought into their reasons; if it is a matter of principle rather than ignorance, I will give them the same respect I do to athiests or agnostics who consciously choose not to participate in religion. Or to anyone, anywhere, who chooses not to participate in any public or private institution that they don't believe in, agree with, or think is worthy.

I recently moved, so I re-registered to vote at a Democratic Party booth at a local festival this July 4th. He stood and held my stuff while I filled out the form, and waited patiently for me to finish chatting with the people in the booth. They offered him a form, and he politely, and respectfully, declined. They politely, and respectfully, accepted that.

[undeterred]

27. I think that people have every right to choose not to vote

and yet I still wish they would. Our political system IS broken and corrupt, but I still have hope that we can change that by participating in it.

If we vote and our votes are not counted correctly, we can still fight for our vote to be counted.

[kestrel91316]

28. If you don't vote, don't complain. End of subject.

[SmokingJacket]

30. Most people who don't vote probably shouldn't --

including those who don't vote out of "principle." Clearly they don't care too much for democracy.