Assuming there’s nothing stopping you from legally voting
In some Canadian municipal elections, you can vote for school board trustees.
Before I had kids, I was too lazy to educate myself on their platforms, so I wouldn’t cast a ballot. I’d rather leave it up to people who care to make the decision.
Now that I have kids and school boards have turned into a culture war battleground, I am researching and voting.
- Laziness / lack of any urgency that it will matter or make a difference to them personally
- They’re a disinformation campaign, and taking time telling you about refusing to vote is their attempt to influence the election
I suspect that almost everyone will fall into one of those two categories
1/3 of the possible voting populace doesn’t vote because they are told it won’t make a difference, when the last presidential election came down to a few thousand votes. Bugs the hell out of me.
Even if you’re in a non “swing” state, the totals shifting in some new direction will influence it becoming a non swing state over time. It still matters. Both ways.
This was the way the crazy people got abortion banned: They picked something that was crazy out of reach, and kept working for it until it was in reach. Instead of just saying “oh well who cares, it is difficult, I will wait until someone else makes it easy.”
Exactly, the reason it happened is because we became complacent to the point where the only way to win votes for them was to win the craziest sector, they knew everyone else would just keep voting (or not voting). They campaigned constantly because people would froth at the mouth over it and they knew they were single issue voters.
If the 1/3 of the people who don’t vote showed up in this election it could actually make a huge difference, hell it could show that the parties need to rethink their entire strategies. They still won’t though, but they should.
“Making a difference” and “electing one of two unpopular candidates” don’t necessarily go hand in hand.
If the two unpopular candidates were perfectly equal then your argument might have weight, but in my book there’s one that’s horrible, and one that’s not great, but also not horrible.
Politics never has a good candidate, it’s always between two bad choices. It’s just choosing the best of the two.
Politics never has a good candidate, it’s always between two bad choices.
Well now you’re catching on to why so many people don’t even bother. It’s almost as if these two parties want it that way so they can maintain their control. Why do you think the Democrats keep picking candidates that either lose or struggle to win against someone like Trump?
I guess in my thinking, if the act of not voting means you are okay with letting the worst candidate win, then by not voting it means I’m okay with a lot of innocent people being hurt by the horrid policies of the worse candidate. By voting for the lesser of two evils, I’m more saying “I don’t want that other candidate”.
You’re trying to say it’s their plot to give you two candidates. What if their plot is instead to convince you not to vote, so their bad candidate gets in easier because you could have helped stop it?
What are you helping to stop when both candidates are terrible? You’re helping in the same way that “thoughts and prayers” helps people. You’re simply participating in a rigged game and thinking that your participation is some sort of moral choice and “doing the right thing” when in reality that feeling is just self-gratification.
If you think you’re helping, why does the political landscape continue to devolve and slide further to the right regardless of who wins? Why are more and more people becoming poor and homeless while a handful of companies and individuals are reaping all the rewards? That’s the trajectory you’re arguing to help maintain here.
Personally the farther left we go, the louder the right gets. To me, I see a losing battle that they’re desperately trying to win. They may win temporarily now and again, but overwhelmingly the younger generations are more liberal. It’s why we see the desperate grab for power now, they know even with the tricks it’s just a matter of time.
And for your first, I stand by what I said. Your assumption is that both candidates are equal, so what’s the point. Except from my point of view, one is vastly better than the alternative, so there is a point.
That’s like eating shit and lightning yourself on fire instead of just eating shit.
When you compare our choices to eating shit or eating shit and lighting yourself on fire, is it really much of a question why people aren’t volunteering to do either of those things?
One is going to be picked for you either way. Not voting doesn’t stop the shit eating from happening, just allows the lighting on fire to also happen.
By choosing the less shit option, politicians will see they need to be less shit to get elected, eventually to the point of maybe even having good candidates. Allowing the worst candidate to win tells the politicians they can get worse and still have their coveted power.
By choosing the less shit option, politicians will see they need to be less shit to get elected, eventually to the point of maybe even having good candidates.
This is demonstrably false. After Obama was elected twice we got Trump. Clinton was picked in 2016 and was so terrible that she couldn’t beat the orange turd. After her loss they gave us a “status quo” clone of her who barely managed to defeat the orange turd. Now we’re faced with the exact same choice and polling shows that it’s likely to end up like it did in 2016. Both parties continue to move further and further right regardless of who’s getting elected and we’re being forced to choose from the same tiny pool of candidates every election even though there are hundreds of millions of people in this country.
When those are the only two options, fuck yeah: Picking nothing is way worse than picking the least bad option. You’ll be either the metaphorical shit regardless, why risk worse?
Continuing to vote against the other candidate rather than voting for who you want allows them to keep doing worse and worse because that other party is always going to be there and always considered worse and supporters of that party will look at the other side and do the same. There is zero accountability for either side to the point where both candidates now openly support genocide and you have people arguing that “you’re a piece of shit for not supporting them.”
By continuing to vocally support eating shit, you’re ensuring that in a few elections we’ll be supporting eating shit and lighting ourselves on fire because the other side will be eating shit, lighting ourselves on fire, and giving a rim job to a horse. To support our current system is to support a race to the bottom.
People can and should criticize flaws, but to not vote because you don’t like either choice solves absolutely nothing, guaranteeing only that things will get worse. Your argument simply does not hold up and you’re arguing against something I never claimed.
We should continue to push for and work towards things like ranked choice voting, but letting the worst of the worst win is guaranteed to prevent progress.
“Unpopular” is a pretty carefully chosen criterion there
Damn straight which is why the Dems handed a win to Trump in 2016 and why polling shows that he’s likely to win again this year. It takes careful choosing to pick someone that people dislike so much that he can’t even win against a bloated orange fascist.
I think there’s a third category, though may be a small offset of the first. Those who would like to, but don’t have the day off and can’t afford it.
They’re gonna have trouble affording smuggled oranges and tinned meat, too, when they’re in the camps with bread and water as the standard food.
I get what you’re saying and I’m not tryin to sit in judgement. But also, this one is fuckin important.
Well it may be be fuckin important but people have to fuckin eat and have a roof over their fuckin heads, too
If you’re not someone who doesn’t vote and you’re simply speculating, I would suggest you delete this comment.
I will give your suggestion 100% of the careful attention and obedience that it deserves.
OP deserves someone participating in the conversation who can honestly answer the question they’ve asked. Your speculation only adds to the ignorance others already have. You are enforcing an echo chamber and being disrespectful.
I mean your comment isn’t 100% off base. I was just being a little prickly about it for reasons that will become clear below – so the reason I chimed in is:
- Me saying my piece on it in no way makes it difficult for others who want to answer the question to give the answers OP deserves.
- Some of the people who are going to answer this question who fall into category #2 are going to lie, by definition, and I think it’s relevant to point that out and be able to talk about it (that that factor is relevant to the discussion). If everyone was coming into this discussion and telling the truth, then yes it would be inappropriate for someone else to come in and say what those other people’s answers were probably going to be.
A long debate about whether or not there are political astroturf accounts on Lemmy is probably off topic here, so I made a thread which might be a little more suited to it.
I will give your suggestion 100% of the careful attention and obedience that it deserves.
I’ll be appropriating this phrase. This requires no further action on your part. Thank your for your cooperation.
Dude is just a douche who wants his soapbox.
“Doctors of Reddit…”
“I’m not a doctor, but…”
That’s your energy right there. Came in here hoping for actual answers and this trash comment is top. Pure speculation from someone on the opposite side.
I didn’t vote for years because I was busy trying to keep my head above water and I just couldn’t wrap my head around politics. I had my own shit to deal with during that time.
It’s one day, with most states allowing mail-in in advance. You have no excuse for not fulfilling your duty as a citizen to ensure least negative outcome of elections.
I had my own shit to deal with
So does every other fucking adult, and now we have even more shit to deal with, thanks for that
Don’t berate people like this man
It takes one day to do the actual voting. It takes a lot more time to figure out who to vote for.
Everyone should invest that time.
Depending on where you are, it also takes some effort and coordination to ensure you register to vote, verify you are still registered by the deadline, and to ensure you understand what will be on the ballot before you show up and have the necessary documents when you get there. I do live in a place the Heritage Foundation considers high in “election integrity”, so they made a lot of barriers to vote where I am, and I could theoretically get why busy people have a hard time prioritizing it.
He’s saying he didn’t even know what was happening. I bet trump won 2016 because in some peoples minds “it’s boll clintons wife vs the guy from the pizza hut ads…well I LIKE pizza!”
Before trump won, his “policies” weren’t well known. It’s hard to remember, but when he won, people were surprised that the joke candidate won. I’m sure some people clueless to politics did it for the lulz.
Please consider voting. Don’t ignore your political voice.
Who are you supposed to vote for when you feel it doesn’t matter? Or when you feel that all candidates are insufficient?
Additionally, if we’re speaking of the US, the electoral college can and will supercede the popular vote. We literally put these people in power just to say we’re wrong and they will quickly say we’re wrong and work against the popular votes because we gave them the authority
Ah yes the classic, “i cant decide between voting for fascism or against it. Really tough choice”
OP wants to know why people don’t vote. If you believe in voting you’re probably not going to like any of the answers but they shouldn’t be downvoted for answering the question as asked.
Hey. I’m trying to turn over a new leaf on social media. In situations like this, I will be absolutely serious, direct, and respectful. Regardless of if you disagree with my view, I politely ask the same thing. We need to talk to each other with respect regardless of our views. Agreed?
Ok I will rephrase to be polite and respectful.
When you are presented with the option of voting for or against fascism, what makes that choice difficult?
It’s not a difficult choice at all because, you said it yourself; voting for or against when I already stated that I would vote for no one because we as a nation have put people in power that have the authority to supercede our vote. It’s not a left or a right thing. It’s not a democracy or fascism thing. It’s a fact that every single American has to contend with because WE as American citizens allowed it to happen. Isn’t that democracy?
Ok so you are deciding to not use your right, and thus will have no right to comment on the results of the election.
“I dont care either way”
Yes I do
Removed by mod
Is the one trying to overthrow democracy the fascist or the one funding the ethnic cleansing?
Not just funding but delivering planes, bombs, and weapons.
The one that wants to overthrow democracy and would like to fund the ethnic cleansing at an even higher rate/amount is the fascist. The one that has encouraged Israel to go faster / do more in Gaza is the fascist. I do not like Biden’s weakness confronting Israel, but one is a cheerleader, and one is weakly pushing for caution.
Giving Israel the means to continue ethnic cleansing is more than cheerleading. Not that it would be acceptable if he were just cheering it on.
There’s no evidence that Trump can do anything that Biden already isn’t already, barring sending American soldiers to participate in the genocide which I doubt would be politically feasible for him. Israel doesn’t need our soldiers, they do need our bombs though, which Biden has provided without any effective conditioning.
Kinda telling of how poor of a choice the Democratic candidates have been that they can’t or can barely sway enough votes in their favor when this is on the line.
The electoral college only applies to Presidential elections, but there are many more elections happening for primaries, local, and state elections, where the electoral college doesn’t apply. Your vote in these elections is arguably more important than the presidential election and there have been many cases of elections coming down to under a hundred votes.
As for candidates who are insufficient, your vote is not an endorsement of the policies of the candidate, and is an objection to other candidates. This is the flaw of our two party system, and the only optimal strategy is to vote against who you don’t want to be president. Voting for representatives who advocate for ranked voting is how this can be fixed, but requires voting in non-presidential elections to create the change, along with a whole set of other challenges.
when you feel it doesn’t matter
Nobody should give a fuck about how it fEeLs. Elections are verifiable and essential. You cry about the electoral college and yet don’t vote which gives said EC even more of an advantage.
Having a rough day? Need someone to blame for it? That’s cool. Have at it
I vote for Federal and Provincial. For local, I never seem to find out there even is an election until after it has passed
Still really irritating
And even if you do know about the election, finding useful information on the candidates is a feat
Unfettered capitalism has masterfully created a self-serve corporatocracy that filters money straight to the political parties who, in turn, pose puppet leaders in front of the masses to grant a semblance of choice. No good will come of this “Weekend at Bernie’s” farce of an election. Under current auspices, only more greed, lies, and violence are to follow.
Sorry, disenfranchisement and apoplexy are all that remain.
You’re permitted to do more than be sad
I usually don’t think to. I mostly just scroll All sorted by active so there’s lots of people already voting on those posts. Plus my instance is upvote-only
I’m not allowed because I’m an immigrant, and I’ve only found out recently that I can vote while living abroad in national elections in the fatherland.
Depends on what is getting voted on. Posts on Lemmy? Eh… Maybe if I find them especially good or bad. Can’t be bothered otherwise.
In that one instance where I didn’t vote… It was a local election with exactly two candidates. One of which told ahead of election day that should he win he would refuse to take office. So yeah… Didn’t bother with that.
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This happened to me last election
I once couldn’t vote because I had to rush to my dying grandfather the day before the election. Apart from that I have voted in every single election.
My state only does mail-in (AFAIK) and I don’t have a stable address.
My state only does mail-in (AFAIK) and I don’t have a stable address.
Which state? I find it hard to believe this is a thing.
Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado
Early voting: Cast your ballot at any voter service center in your county from Monday, July 29, through Saturday, Aug. 10.
Voting at the polls: Hawai‘i votes mostly by mail, but some voter service centers are open on Election Day for walk-in voting and same-day registration.
In person: You can vote in person starting 18 days before an election and up until 8 p.m. on Election Day. Find your voting center by logging into VoteWA.gov or by contacting your county elections office. If you’re already registered, you don’t need to provide an ID.
On Election Day: You can register to vote in person at your county’s election office up until 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Oregon (this one was trickier to find, but actually quite helpful):
Homeless U.S. Citizens Have a Right to Vote
Voters must provide a residence address on the voter registration form, but this address may be any definable location in the county that describes their physical location. This could be a shelter, park, motor home, or other identifiable location. The mailing address of a person who is homeless or who resides where mail service is unavailable can be the office of the county clerk. Voters can pick up their ballot at the county elections office.
Utah:
Early in-person voting: Available in all counties for the primary. Check with your county clerk’s office for dates and times.
Voting at the polls: Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Bring an acceptable ID.
Early in-person voting: If you prefer to vote in person, you can visit a voter service and polling center in your county to cast your ballot from Monday, Oct. 21 through Election Day.
Voting at the polls: Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Bring an acceptable ID, such as a valid Colorado driver’s license or Colorado ID.
Apolitical spectator.
You’re part of the problem, removing a sane voice only allows the insane to be heard that much more.
Whose problem? I just said I operate as an apolitical spectator.
I’ve given up. Especially with my new address (same state), I don’t think any of the races are even close.
I voted as hard as possible until (and including) 2022, but Dobbs hurt, and this latest round of SCOTUS rulings and it is going to be harder to get to a voting station. It just doesn’t feel worth it.
