# I live in the US, but I don't vote. Never have, never will. Ask Me Anything if you want. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 8, 2016, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059 "2016-11-08T13:49:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/21 "2016-11-08T14:32:46Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > So? > > You sound like a very boring person. Not very bright, either. I am a very boring person. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/22 "2016-11-08T14:33:12Z")
I used to be the same as the OP. Eight years of the Fratboy in Chief got me off my ass on the second Tuesday of November. Now I vote every four years. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/23 "2016-11-08T14:33:39Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > I don’t know. I might…but since I don’t and there isn’t, the result is the same. Then is it correct to say that you don’t care about people that you don’t know possibly being sent to fight and die in an unnecessary war? ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/24 "2016-11-08T14:35:53Z")
Again…you are putting far too great things into my not voting and making connections where there are none. You seem to be making a point of “You not voting” = “You don’t care about people/anyone”, and that’s not true. I just don’t care about voting. That has no baring on my caring about other people. You are attributing far too much strength and importance to my sole vote. Millions of people will not die in unnecessary wars just because I don’t vote. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/25 "2016-11-08T14:36:00Z")
Or substitute another issue for fighting in an unnecessary war – do you not care about people you don’t know possibly being separated from their family due to an unjust immigration policy, or about women you don’t know losing access to reproductive health care in their community, or about Muslim Americans you don’t know being discriminated against? ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/26 "2016-11-08T14:36:48Z")
I care about that stuff just fine. I just don’t care to vote. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/27 "2016-11-08T14:38:00Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Again…you are putting far too great things into my not voting and making connections where there are none. > > You seem to be making a point of “You not voting” = “You don’t care about people/anyone”, and that’s not true. > I just don’t care about voting. That has no baring on my caring about other people. You are attributing far too much strength and importance to my sole vote. Millions of people will not die in unnecessary wars just because I don’t vote. Probably not. But there’s a non-zero chance of something bad happening that could have been prevented by your vote. A very small chance, but still non-zero. By your answer about a friend or family member in the military, it sounds like there are indeed some possible scenarios that could make you care about a political issue. In such a case (say, your brother or close friend joined the Army, and one candidate wants to invade North Korea and the other candidate does not), would you make the small effort in voting, or would you not? If not, why not? ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/28 "2016-11-08T14:38:56Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Probably not. But there’s a non-zero chance of something bad happening that could have been prevented by your vote. A very small chance, but still non-zero. I don’t believe that and never will. > [@](#): > > By your answer about a friend or family member in the military, it sounds like there are indeed some possible scenarios that could make you care about a political issue. In such a case (say, your brother or close friend joined the Army, and one candidate wants to invade North Korea and the other candidate does not), would you make the small effort in voting, or would you not? If not, why not? No…and because I don’t care about voting or politics. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/29 "2016-11-08T14:39:22Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Then is it correct to say that you don’t care about people that you don’t know possibly being sent to fight and die in an unnecessary war? What war, he’s going to nuke them all. ‘Bomb the shit out of them’ he calls it. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/30 "2016-11-08T14:40:15Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > I don’t believe that and never will. So your mind is closed. That’s a shame – I think one’s mind should always be open to the possibility of being wrong about something. > [@](#): > > No…and because I don’t care about voting or politics. That’s a choice you’re making, and I think it’s a morally wrong choice, in a very small way. Not the end of the world – I make morally wrong choices too. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/31 "2016-11-08T14:40:16Z")
I do not mean these questions as implying something is wrong with you, I simply mean them as an exploration of your self-professed apathy for politics and if that view relates to other areas of your life. 1. Do you hold political views at all? Like, whether or not we should invade Syria or expand access to health care? 2. Do you tend toward feelings of helplessness, pointlessness, that what you do isn’t important, in other areas of your life? (I’m not using those terms precisely, so take them as broadly as possible - like feeing like your job is a dead end, that relationships are unfulfilling, etc) 3. Do politicians make you angry (they are all liars, etc), do younliteraly not care or think of them at all, or something in between? 4. Sort of along lines of 2, do you have depression or related issues, that may distance yourself from connecting with other people? Thank you for starting the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/32 "2016-11-08T14:40:23Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > For what reason? Laziness/indifference/apathy, or a feeling that it doesn’t matter, or a feeling that the choices are all the same, or something else? On the presidential level she’s disgusted by both Clinton and Trump. On the more local level, she feels that there are no real “issues” at stake, just a matter of which corrupt politicians can get their hands on the money/power. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/33 "2016-11-08T14:43:15Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I do not mean these questions as implying something is wrong with you, I simply mean them as an exploration of your self-professed apathy for politics and if that view relates to other areas of your life. > > 1. Do you hold political views at all? Like, whether or not we should invade Syria or expand access to health care? > > 2. Do you tend toward feelings of helplessness, pointlessness, that what you do isn’t important, in other areas of your life? (I’m not using those terms precisely, so take them as broadly as possible - like feeing like your job is a dead end, that relationships are unfulfilling, etc) > > 3. Do politicians make you angry (they are all liars, etc), do younliteraly not care or think of them at all, or something in between? > > 4. Sort of along lines of 2, do you have depression or related issues, that may distance yourself from connecting with other people? > > Thank you for starting the thread. 1. Nope. I very rarely stay up to date on current events as well. 2. By and large, yes. 3. Not really, I don’t have any opinion of them at all one way or another. I know next to nothing about politics and political issues, because–again–it’s just a boring subject/field for me. It’s like sports. I find all sports uninteresting and boring, so I pretty much don’t know anything about them. : p 4. Yes. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/34 "2016-11-08T14:43:21Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I do not mean these questions as implying something is wrong with you, I simply mean them as an exploration of your self-professed apathy for politics and if that view relates to other areas of your life. > > 1. Do you hold political views at all? Like, whether or not we should invade Syria or expand access to health care? > > 2. Do you tend toward feelings of helplessness, pointlessness, that what you do isn’t important, in other areas of your life? (I’m not using those terms precisely, so take them as broadly as possible - like feeing like your job is a dead end, that relationships are unfulfilling, etc) > > 3. Do politicians make you angry (they are all liars, etc), do younliteraly not care or think of them at all, or something in between? > > 4. Sort of along lines of 2, do you have depression or related issues, that may distance yourself from connecting with other people? > > Thank you for starting the thread. Good questions, and I’ll also thank you, **Idle Thoughts** , for starting the thread. Hopefully you don’t see my questions and criticism as a personal attack. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/35 "2016-11-08T14:44:20Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > So your mind is closed. That’s a shame – I think one’s mind should always be open to the possibility of being wrong about something. I’m always open to the possibility that I’m wrong about something… but voting? I don’t care about politics. That’s all. So I don’t bother voting. You’re still going a bit too far in attributing many other things to it, I feel. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/36 "2016-11-08T14:45:46Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > On the presidential level she’s disgusted by both Clinton and Trump. On the more local level, she feels that there are no real “issues” at stake, just a matter of which corrupt politicians can get there hands on the money/power. Yep. Put your head deep enough in the sand and all the problems go away. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/37 "2016-11-08T14:45:49Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Good questions, and I’ll also thank you, **Idle Thoughts** , for starting the thread. Hopefully you don’t see my questions and criticism as a personal attack. Hah, never, no worries. I don’t usually care much about actual personal attacks when they come anyway. 😛 At least regarding this issue. I recognize it’s a very unpopular and oftentimes infuriating one to some. I’m sorry. I wish I cared more about that kind of stuff…but it’s like sports, I can’t make myself care about something I find so boring. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/38 "2016-11-08T14:46:11Z")
If, in fact, you were as indifferent as you claim, you would not have started this thread, I believe. You pretty clearly seem to be boasting about something that you’d be better advised to keep to yourself, in my opinion. Pseudo intellectual, cynical indifference and sneak bragging do not reflect well on anyone. ( Just sayin’! ) Of course I could be WAY off base, and really we should all admire the great public service you’re undertaking, fielding questions on your most curious ways. I’m certain that must be it! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/39 "2016-11-08T14:46:57Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > You seem to be making a point of “You not voting” = “You don’t care about people/anyone”, and that’s not true. In many people’s opinion, it is true. They see a candidate that expresses a desire to restrict a group’s freedoms. Choosing not to vote means (to many people) that you don’t care if their freedoms are taken away. Regardless of how you feel others will judge you based on this. Saying you don’t care is fine. But other people care and whether you like it or not they will make value judgments of you based on that. To me, saying you don’t care about politics is the equivalent to saying you don’t care about others. IMO it’s a short-sighted and foolish choice; but one you are free to choose. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059/40 "2016-11-08T14:47:57Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > I’m always open to the possibility that I’m wrong about something… but voting? I don’t care about politics. That’s all. So I don’t bother voting. You’re still going a bit too far in attributing many other things to it, I feel. I’m just trying to understand your feelings – it sounds like you’re not open to the possibility that your vote (or your influence on others to not vote) could have any possible impact on any issue whatsoever. If you thought that there was a small but significant chance that your vote (and influence on others’ votes) could actually prevent your friend in the Army from fighting and dying unnecessarily, or some other bad outcome, would you vote? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-live-in-the-us-but-i-dont-vote-never-have-never-will-ask-me-anything-if-you-want/771059.md?page=3)