I have no respect for people who don't vote.

[Philosoraptor]

Far too many people have marched and fought and died for that specific right, not only in America, but the world over. And far too many people just don't care enough to vote.

Far too many could give a damn, don't have time, are not interested in politics, don't think it matters, or are just offended by the whole process.

These jerks screw it up for all of us actual voters. We should all be REQUIRED TO VOTE starting at age 18. We need to make voting a MONTH LONG process, not 12 hours on only one day.

A nation that doesn't even bother to show up at the poles is a damned nation.

I will not except any excuse for any adult American failing to do their duty and vote. I will not forgive them either.

[sakabatou]

1. Those under 18 are excluded, right?

[jhrobbins]

2. And here I thought we were developing a friendship...

I don't vote because I can't leave my house - if I could, I would.

[annabanana]

4. I'm sure that someone there in Austin

would be happy to deliver an absentee ballot to you.

[Philosoraptor]

5. we can still be pals

I too am homebound, I always vote absentee, and it's not too late to apply. I may vote this week in fact.

[bleedingheart]

15. call your election board and ask them to send you an absentee

ballot....

There are very few people who can't really vote and those folks are attached to respirators or are in a state of dementia....and hell...some of their family members will still fill out absentees for them.

[in_cog_ni_to]

19. Get an absentee ballot! You CAN vote. n/t

[annabanana]

3. I would only REQUIRE votes

If it was coupled with a 4-year "Civics" requirement in High School.

[Philosoraptor]

6. we can work it out

a person has to be of sound mind, and at least know why he is voting, or state what she is voting for.

[emanymton]

7. I Vote - But It Doesn't matter

I vote and do not believe in the system. I vote and do not think the system is capable of doing the right thing.

I vote.

It is not up to me to tell others to vote. I will not judge. Please withhold your judgment. People have reasons for what they do or don't do.

I vote.

[elocs]

8. Generally, people who don't vote don't care,

and they don't care if you have no respect for them or that you will not forgive them. Don't expect any changes, ever. America has become a nation of choice and the freedom to choose and people who do not vote consider that to be their choice and consider it to be their right. Many have bought into the lie that there is no difference between the 2 parties, or simply use that as their excuse not to vote. So lotsa luck in in forcing people to vote. Besides, you may not be very happy with how the majority of those people choose to vote.

But consider this--people who do not ordinarily vote might be the ones most likely to be moved by emotional appeal or personal prejudice. Maybe it is better that our elections are decided by those who care enough to actually participate, who are motivated to actually get out and vote and stay even remotely informed. Because an uninformed voter is most likely a danger to democracy.

[acmavm]

9. People who are eligible to vote but don't are lazy and irresponsible.

They always have some glib answer for why they just can't drag their sorry asses to the polls.

People that don't vote disgust me.

[BlueStater]

10. I don't like it either

You mean to tell me your time is so valuable that you can't sacrifice two hours of it once every four years? Pathetic.

[tocqueville]

11. A lot of people don't vote because of social factors like...

poor education, poverty, a society promoting other ideals than political responsability - not to talk about a "third world" voting system in the US with "medieval" impediments.

So before blaming people, it would be more interesting for a Democratic government to reform the system...

then after that - and a massive education campaign, there would be less excuses

[LWolf]

12. I have respect for all

as a matter of principle. There are actions and choices I disagree with, which has nothing to do with respect. There are actions, words, and choices that anger me, which also is not related to respect.

Non-voters don't anger me. I am saddened that they don't feel that they have a place at the table, but I understand their choices. I should; I have a son who doesn't vote, and he explains it to me again every November. If there are people who are offended by the process, perhaps it's because the process is flawed. If there are people who think it doesn't matter, perhaps they have good reason to think so. As my son says to me, "Mom, I've listened to you talk about politics and watched you take part, get involved, and vote every year of my life. Twenty-seven years of it. What is it that you have campaigned and worked for that has actually HAPPENED? Where are all the things you've worked for? Universal health care? Peace? Where is it?"

It is the candidate or the party's job to earn the vote; it isn't owed. If people aren't voting, what that says to me is that they are casting a vote of no confidence in the system. It that's so, it is the job of the system, and those wanting the votes, to earn that confidence.

If, for example, elections were structured so that all voices are equally heard, and no reps or candidates could receive any kind of donation or "gift" other than the people's votes, more people might vote.

[michaelpush]

13. Should a person vote if they only have a choice

of 2 candidates and neither one is acceptable? What if there were only Republicans on the ballot? I think there can be valid reasons for not voting. When I was younger I didn't vote because I had no faith in the system to make things better, no matter who was on the ballot. Later in life, I discovered my vote was the only power I had to try to change things, but, I seem to always be in the minority and haven't changed much.

[Glorfindel]

14. I understand your anger, but freedom includes the choice NOT to vote

and, let's be realistic, the people least likely to vote are the people most likely to vote for the ignorant, rabble-rousing Repukes. Thoughtful liberals almost always vote, thank goodness. :evilgrin:

[MiniMe]

16. Its a choice to vote, but if you don't vote, you can't complain about

how the election comes out.

[michaelpush]

18. But you can complain about not having

a choice worth voting for.

[johnnie]

17. Oh well.

With all due respect, I think you are wrong.

I couldn't wait until I turned 18 to register to vote. My first time voting was the mid term elections of 1982, 3 months after I turned 18. I also made sure that everyone I knew who had turned 18 or can vote got to the polls and voted.

I voted in every election from that day on until 2000.

I was disappointed when Reagen was re-elected over Mondale in my first time of voting for president, but I carried on. I was then disappointed when Bush beat Dukakis in 1988, but I carried on. I have to say that the choices were pretty bad up until then for me. I was born liberal, so I never really felt any connection to any Republican, but I am also not a dumb man and I will listen to what they have to say before I make my decision. But, not many Republicans impress me.

By 1992 I was already getting disgusted, but then Bill Clinton came along and things were looking up. On my birthday of that year he came to town and I drug my g/f at the time to go see him speak and pushed my way up front to shake his hand and wish him luck. I even wore my Elvis/Nixon shirt which Clinton looked at and laughed.

So for 8 years (not including pre-elections) I got to see the Republican party trying to get even for Watergate and stage an all-out witch hunt on President Bill Clinton. 8 years they went after him and 8 years the Democrats did shit about it. When the scandal finally broke, many dems ran away from Clinton while the Republicans kept after Clinton.

I voted in 1996, even though I knew Clinton had a strong lead, but at the time I still felt that it was my duty to vote and it was no skin off my nose.


Now I come to the meat of this thing no one will read anyway..lol.

As 2000 approached I was completely disgusted with the Republican party for acting like a bunch of assholes and doing all they could to destroy President Clinton and in my mind the Democrats were doing no better. When the whole thing came down to Gore and Bush I smelled a rat. I knew something was up and with Gore running from his connection with Clinton I knew the fix was in.

Believe me or not, but the truth of the matter is I made sure everyone I came in contact with knew how I felt about the upcoming election. Of course most people said I was out of my mind, but I kept on about it. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the hell was going on.

I exercised my right not to give either party a second of my time and I blew off that election. If these fuckers in Washington weren't going to get off their ass for me, i sure the hell wasn't going to waste time on them.

Needless to say, by the next month after the election and we still had no president, people wondered how I knew we were getting scammed. As I said, it didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on.

So there, I am a jerk, I am a lazy son of a bitch, I am whatever you want to call me, but I still stand by my protest of 2000 and would do it again. It's too bad that people are beat over the head with this "if you don't vote, you are not a patriot" crap or whatever it is. If enough people would have taken the stand I took, it might have opened the eyes to the fat cats in Washington, but no... we keep electing the same people, and let them do what they want and do jack shit for the country.

And as for "since you didn't vote, you have no right to bitch" crap, I call bullshit! I have been working since the age of 14, I pay my taxes and always have, people seem to forget that the president works for us.

I would like to see what would happen if I flew from Cleveland to Houston and went to tell my employer "Since you had no say so in hiring me, you don't have any right to bitch about the work I do". I have a feeling I wouldn't be working here any longer.

Sorry this is long, but I think there is more to be said about the right to vote as there is about the right to NOT vote. Far too many people have marched and fought and died for that specific right.

[in_cog_ni_to]

20. My sister just sent me a new bumper sticker

"IF YOU DON'T VOTE, DON'T WHINE"

12 hours to vote is ridiculoue for 300,000,000 people! Voting day should be a day off or 2 days off...with pay. Maybe a Saturday (paid) and Sunday when most people don't work anyway so employers wouldn't have to pay the employees for a 2nd day off. OR it could be a flat rate pay like $40.00 bucks if you vote and take in proof that you actually did vote. Maybe not a full days pay, but the employee gets SOMETHING for voting whichever day that is.

[bullwinkle428]

21. Some Repukes were slagging on the Ohio residents that dropped out

of line and decided not to vote after already waiting several hours and not getting an opportunity, because of Blackwell's disgusting machinations in 2004. I can't fault someone for not being in a position of having a sympathetic employer who would allow them to take several hours off to complete the voting process because of something completely beyond their control.