Why is it ok not to vote?

[Egnever]

I see a lot of posts saying things like. "what was the margin on the vote" "It wouldnt have passed anyway" etc.

Why do people think just because a vote is assured of going against them or for them it is ok to skip the vote and not make your mark in the sand?

This bothers me greatly. I dont care if I am in a room full of people with a different view than mine if you walk away from your views because you were in the minority you will never become the majority.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

I dont understand why people think its ok to skip votes just because you know the outcome. Or think you do.

[Padraig18]

1. A non-vote is a vote, after a fashion.

In one context, not voting says that you trust those who care enough to inform themselves and vote to do the right thing, i.e., the 'satisfied with the status quo' non-voter.

[Brucey]

2. I always vote, but I am thinking of quitting.

Why? 1) It only encourages them; it legitimizes the process. 2) I almost always feel like shit afterwards when my vote didn't matter one iota (we have winner take all in the USA); 3) The person I support usually gets about .01% of the vote; 4) It is a waste of time and energy when I could be doing things like charity work, helping people, reading and learning, etc. Why is voting so great?

[a_lil_wall_fly]

3. My idealogy on the subject ==

If you don't vote then you don't have the right bitch about the way things are going.
If you vote for your candidates or measures didn't win--okay at least you help the causes that were important to you and other like-minded people and try again next time.
If you vote for your candidates or measures and they did win. :D baby you are happy go lucky.

[MsUnderstood]

7. no vote = bitch anyway

The idealogy that you have to vote to complain is utterly useless in the current political world.

The media tells you before you vote who is going to win; the politicians control what votes count on the election day; the judges certify or decertify any elections that are not to their liking.

If you want to make your time count, contact your reprsentative and tell them you are a voter and you plan to vote against him/her if he/she doesn't do exactly as you want.

Politcians know that only 1 in 4 vote (on a good election day). If someone is mad enough to contact their representative then that person becomes very, very important because they represent the voice of many other silent people wanting to vote for someone else.

If I call a rep and complain, whether I will vote or not is pretty much non-essential. No one can tell!

[a_lil_wall_fly]

12. Well

Here in Portland Oregon and Multnomah County...all measures that don't get 51% of the total voting population voting..the end result is the same..it doesn't pass at all.
It gets more people out to vote... we have a measure for an electric PUD today and it looks like it will not pass because of the majority rule will come in to play.
We here in Portland are trying to get rid of ENRON.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

4. You've gotta pick your battles.

Do we want to tilt at windmills, lodge protest votes, or actually achieve something?

Please be specific about who you think should have voted on what.

To pick a not-entirely-random example, let's say a House member were running for President. Would there be something wrong with that member missing votes that were decided by margins of 20 votes? 30 votes? 40 votes? and so on? Wouldn't it be better for that House member to be campaigning, getting the message out to BEAT BUSH?

Or are you saying Senators and Reps shouldn't run for the Presidency, they should resign first?


PS - you are talking about members of Congress, right? Some of the posters have responded as if you meant citizens voting on election day...

[Egnever]

8. Yes i was speaking of congress

And I think that by voting even against/for a proposition allready "decided" goes farther to promoting what they stand for than any single campaign event short of a nationaly televised event could ever do.

Or are you trying to tell me that the IWR vote of some of these candidates had lkess of an effect than all of thier campaigning?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

9. If we took your view, no member of Congress could ever run for President

:eyes:

[redqueen]

16. Now that's not true.

These people are perfectly capable of flying back and forth and making sure they do their work.

I suppose a review of the overal voting record -- seeing how many days they were there even when they weren't campaigning -- would help to clear up if that was the preferred excuse for not voting.

It's their job, for goodness' sake.

[tobys]

5. I think voting is a social responsibility

and those people who don't vote are doing themselves and their country a great disservice.

[redqueen]

6. Just had to say...

I love your sig. :)

And yeah... I really don't see much valid reason for not voting, unless you're undecided.

[Egnever]

10. Kucinich

one of the things I respect most about kucinich is his record of making his voice heard close to 100% of the time in votes on the floor. Even though I dissagree with him on a lot of things. I admire him for puting his flag in the sand every single time.

It bothers me greatly when people like ghep try to tell people to get out and vote when he has missed 50% of the votes he was elected to cast.

[tobys]

13. I don't see a good reason for being undecided.

If the two major candidates don't appeal to you at all, and in all your conscienciousness you cannot vote for either of them, then go and vote for a third party candidate, even if it is going to be just a spoiler effect. Don't throw away your vote by not voting.

[zonmoy]

14. Yet when I and every other Nader voter

voted we were demonized for it.

[redqueen]

15. Oh yeah I'm all for protest votes.

I was speaking of votes in Congress... case in point the many bills Kucinich didn't vote on relating to abortion while he was re-thinking his stance.

[Monte Carlo]

11. Because cynicism is a self-feeding cycle.

A lot of things feed into voter apathy. Blaming the cynical for being cynical only feeds into it.

That, and initial conditions are a big part of any equation. Every battle is won before it is ever fought.

[DrFunkenstein]

17. I Don't Think He's Talking About Regular Citizens

If I'm not mistaken, this is another attempt to undermine the employed candidates in the Presidential election.