I consider it the renewal of my Right To Bitch About the Government License.
Eligible, live in a country which doesn’t require a separate registration (we have to be listed in the Census, which is used for many other things), bet cher ass I do vote - to the point that, having discovered that registering at my nearest consulate if I’m to be in a foreign country for more than 30 days (as required by law) may and indeed did once cause me to lose my ability to vote (due to Census laws which assume paperwork traveling on the backs of arthritic mules), what I do not do is register.
A big part of my homeland’s history and my paternal family’s was the headbutting with the central government regarding who could and could not vote here; I distinctly remember the discussions from my childhood where that same family argued about “when we get more than one party again, who should be allowed to vote?”; I remember discovering that there was a time, and still people in my lifetime, who think women should be “protected from politics”. The people whose political ideology includes things like wanting to kill any- and everybody in my family just on grounds of being family count absentees as “their vote”. I tell people, if you don’t like any of the options, vote blank: but vote!
I vote as often as I can, in both US and Canadian elections. Canadians don’t talk much about Canadian politics, but when they find out that you can vote in the US, whoa, do you ever get an opinion about how you should vote.
In most cases the people who don’t vote in elections would not bother responding to your poll, I’ll wager.
Seldom do I vote for the winner, but I always vote.
Ah, yes. My favorite non sequitor of all time. Alternately phrased: “If you didn’t do anything to cause the current situation, you can’t bitch about it. On the other hand, if you’re directly responsible for it, you can bitch about it.” It’s the exact opposite of “reap what you sow.” Voters put that guy in office. They’re the ones for whom he/she supposedly speaks. Don’t abdicate responsibility when they do something distasteful.
I fought a war for this country and served it to the best of my ability for years. You pull a lever every two years. You really want to get into a patriotic pissing contest with me?
Finally, if we were to play a game where I win when your vote doesn’t matter and you win when it does, what do you think the score would be? I’d bet it’s at least 1million : 1.
As for the “people fought and died for this” argument…is that also a reason I should own a gun? Should I also petition the government for redress of grievances? Should I not quarter my fellow soldiers in my home? Should I go commit a crime so that I can exercise my right to a speedy trial and protection from cruel and unusual punishment? Clearly, failure to exercise a right says nothing of one’s respect or desire for such right.
So I’m perfectly happy saving my gas money, better using my time, and taking my chances that the next election won’t miss my vote. The rest of you can go to the voting booth, pretend (despite all evidence) that your vote will make a difference, and get what you really came for- a pat on the back for your outward display of patriotism. Just quit acting so smug about it.
I stopped voting after the Gore/Bush debacle and had that decision validated during the California Prop 8 Gay Marriage initiative. Even with massive voter turn-out, the religious right was able to garner their troops and shut it down.
It showed me that money and power can buy elections and I gave up after that.
I’ve voted regularly for over 25 years now. As time has gone on, I’ve come to the conclusion that my vote matters a lot less as the office gets higher. I’m more excited and energized by the local elections, and I feel like I can make more of a difference there. As we move into the state and federal elections, I still vote but I’ve come to the conclusion that those are pretty much bought and paid for.
holy shit, you are some kind of genius.
“if you don’t vote, you shouldn’t bitch about the government and its actions” annoys the fuck out of me. It could be if you don’t watch the news, if you don’t pay your taxes, if you don’t understand civics, etc. Why the hell do we pick the one that says the least about the value of somebody’s opinion?
“people fought and died for this” annoys the fuck out of me. Sorry, those people are sunk costs. If I wanted to prevent people from dying in the future, dead people certainly shouldn’t be relevant in deciding my course of action. Now, if you want to make it into a moral issue- whereby nonvoting is offensive to their spirit/memory, then by all means call me immoral. Just don’t call me impractical.
I vote in every election. In the past, I’ve voted in elections that were won by less than ten votes, including the mayoral. Here, it doesn’t make much difference; but if one doesn’t exercise, certain muscles atrophy.
I do vote regularly because elections are regular events. 
But occasional voter describes me better. I sat out the 2010 elections because none of the local and state races were even remotely competitive. I did not feel at all compelled to add a “me too” to those contests. I didn’t vote in the NYC mayoral elections in 2009 either, come to think of it. I think Bloomberg has done a good job but I was disgusted by his game playing on term limits, so I stayed home. And evidently a lot of people agreed with me, because the polls had him way ahead and he wound up winning narrowly.
I think withholding your vote is an entirely valid option if you think the choices are inadequate and you don’t want to support the system they came from. I think the obligation is on the candidates to convince me to vote, not on me to commit to voting and then pick someone.
Either A) you voted 10 times, or B) your vote didn’t matter. I’m guessing B.
Everyone likes to quote these “almost stories”, where their vote aaaaalmost mattered. I’ve never heard one where the vote actually was relevant.
Amen. People seem to get this idea that it doesn’t matter who you vote for, that as long as you vote, you’re being a patriot. My mother espoused these views quite heartily and was so disgusted with me in 2008 that I (“A veteran!” ::faints: ) refused to vote. So I actually did vote. I guess I lied in my, er, vote in this poll.
I voted for the person I felt was most fit to lead this country. I wrote in…myself.
That’s exactly the reason to bitch, I didn’t vote, I’m not responsible, YOU are.
I vote, and ESP. in local elections (which have a disproportionate impact on our actual life compared to national elections).
I long ago grew tired of watching 20-25% of the eligible population deciding national elections because the majority couldn’t be bothered to turn out (witness the last mid-terms).
Yes, I have gripes with the system (2 party, highly manipulated, possibility and actuality of fraud) but I do not for a moment accept the premise that voting doesn’t matter (despite Tolstoy’s clever observation that “if voting changed anything, it would be illegal”;)). Quite a bit of energy is put into discouraging certain people (demographics) FROM voting, and/or into preventing their votes from being counted.
And despite being an Independent, there ARE, ime, some clear and important differences between the 2 major parties and their agenda/policies which directly and indirectly affect my life and the country as a whole. Those differences aren’t as great as I’d prefer, but they exist.
We have vote by mail in my state, so it’s not as if it’s any huge imposition…I get my pamphlet in the mail several weeks before the election, can fully examine every candidate and issue, then just fill out and send back/drop off my ballot when it arrives.
Yeppers, me too. Almost clicked “Regularly” till I thought about all the little local elections I sometimes skip. (Not the most recent one, tho - it included some issues I care about.)
I don’t vote.
I don’t follow the issues nor do I study the individual candidates with enough depth to make a worthwhile decision. And I have no desire to invest in the amount of time needed to do so.
Besides, it allows others a bit of pleasure when they smugly pat themselves on their backs as they sneer at me “You don’t vote?”
On the other hand, I make my own contributions to society in other ways, volunteering at a few nonprofit organizations. This kind of work can always use more people. I don’t bring that up in discussion except when someone is in my face about not voting.
Fatalistic viewpoints just don’t sell well. It’s as much a birthright as owning guns, a right that I’m assuming you exercise rigorously. It’s your right to choose one over another, but your pessimistic reasoning and sour outlook do nothing to further your argument.
Always vote, every election. And every vote counts, even if you think your preferred candidate is going to lose.
First, I don’t own a gun. That’s another right that I choose not to exercise without dishonoring the men and women who fought and died for it.
Second, where am I being pessimistic and sour? It’s not pessimistic to acknowledge the undeniable fact that a single vote is next to worthless. And it’s not sour to get defensive when people say, with a straight face, “if you don’t vote, you can’t complain” or some equivalent self-righteous statement. In other words “Oooooh, you vote. BFD. Let me know when you do something difficult to support your country.”
It’s as insulting as someone saying to a soup-kitchen volunteer, “hey, don’t talk to me about the poor. I gave $5 to the Salvation Army last Christmas!”
There was a primary race for the state House here in Missouri this year that was won by ten votes. After the recount, it was won by one vote. One person made a difference there. (And the winner took the general election.)
I’ve heard of elections that were tied, and agreed to be decided by a coin flip.
Admittedly, it’s extremely rare, and it’s more likely to happen the further down the ladder you go, but still, voting matters.