I'll preface this by saying that I am Canadian, not American, and I do always vote. I will find a way to make a choice and vote in our next election, but lately have been understanding why someone might not:
Everyone who has even a remote chance of winning has at least one position that I find entirely unacceptable. Like, I cannot in good faith vote for this person because this issue is an absolute deal-breaker for me. If I'm throwing my vote away by writing someone in, why even leave the house?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
I knew I was going to be out of town for voting day and started working to get an absentee ballot three months out. I got my ballot in the mail a week after it was due for me to send in to be counted.
When all of the candidates on a ballot are going to actively work against my values, why would I vote for any of them? That said, I have written in choices before, but it's a lot of work to do when literally no one will be taking notice of that vote.
Because one and only one of them might put you in a prison camp, and destroy the machinery by which you might ever hope to elect someone who would align with your values, without having to fight a war for it?
Or maybe, "only" deport 18 million people who didn’t do anything. But hey! If none of those 18 million is you or your family, that’d be okay. And you got to make your statement.
If I really cared about making a statement, I'd put more effort into regularly heading into polls to write-in my choice. I still would not be voting for either of the major parties.
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.
I’d like an explanation of what you actually mean by this and why not voting is better than voting for the least bad candidate, if you regard them all as bad.
It really isn't. It does require some basic engagement and research. Maybe 10-15 minutes max if you don't care to get too in-depth. You can always skip ballot measures - they are more time-consuming, for sure.
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.
No good will come of this “Weekend at Bernie’s” farce of an election.
Hard disagree.
Anybody who has actually followed what Trump has done / is doing vs what Biden has done / is doing knows there's a clear distinction between the two. One is clearly a worse choice. It reads like you're just intoxicated by the smelling of your own farts.
How dare you accuse him of excessive fart-huffing. Jenkum plays a significant role in many cultures and economic systems. Educate yourself. Huff a splort.
You’ve given into despair and have opted out entirely, which is exactly what the people you gripe about want you to do. Congratulations, you’ve surrendered.
I encourage you to reconsider and vote for whatever you perceive to be the least of all evils. Voting is relatively easy and doesn’t require much effort. It’s literally the least you can do. Yes, may not matter in the end, but it can still inform certain statistics that can be used to support various messages and arguments down the line. If you don’t vote at all, you guarantee you have no impact. Don’t throw away the little power you have.
Duly noted, and I appreciate your not relegating my opinion to snorting self-sourced methane expulsions.
The harder notion for me here is that I have been voting since Bush Sr. / Clinton. This toilet keeps spinning faster as we get closer to the drain.
Until recent years, I believed that voting was exercising my rights and fighting the good fight. Maybe I'm jaded, which I think is fair, but I do think, in light of the circus we've watched the the past 8 years, that we've entered a new arena where violence ultimately is where this is headed. Someone responded here that I have permission to be something other than sad. Unfortunately, I disagree. When the shots ring out in political rage, we've effectively lost our civility.
I will reconsider my decision to not vote, but the bitterness might win out.
Even if this does end in political violence or civil war, if you vote, at least you will have tried to avoid that fate by participating in our democracy as much as possible. Voting is just so easy to do, how can you justify not doing it as anything but laziness? It can’t hurt and takes almost no effort.