# This Is Why I Don't Vote **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 17, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-why-i-dont-vote/264766 "2004-09-17T01:10:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-why-i-dont-vote/264766/61 "2004-09-22T11:28:17Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Sorry, consider the words “then I agree” to be written in invisible pixels at the end of the first sentence. Thanks. I thought we disabled the “Invisible Pixel” feature on this board. 😕 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-why-i-dont-vote/264766/62 "2004-09-22T15:55:40Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > If by “viable” you mean, will not cause you to commit a criminal offence. If you mean “in any way effective” then justify your position. Yep, it’s not a criminal offence and in my opinion it shouldn’t even be considered such a heineous act that justifies whole pit threads about it and people calling non-voters “assholes” (in a previous debate on this topic). As for “effective”, well, it stands to reason whether voting for someone is effective. So far I always voted and only once did the guy I voted for actually win. That was for the position of mayor. He fulfilled 3 of his 5 election promises, which is good of course, but royally screwed up on a few other accounts, so I cannot vote for this person again. If I hadn’t voted in the elections so far, the world wouldn’t be a different place. Since I consider George W. Bush a destablizing factor to peace on a global scale, perhaps you’re right that this time around the election and casting a vote counts for something. More often than not, it doesn’t matter though which crook is at the helm. I for one do vote, but consider it quite a futile excercise - I sure don’t blame the people, who don’t vote, especially when they do it for good reasons like their own conscience instead of “being lazy”. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-why-i-dont-vote/264766/63 "2004-09-23T10:18:16Z")
Sorry, Optihut, are you saying not voting is "effective"or not? ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-why-i-dont-vote/264766/64 "2004-09-23T10:25:57Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Sorry, Optihut, are you saying not voting is "effective"or not? Obviously not-voting is not effective in order to get someone elected. But if there are three choices: Party A, Party B, not voting - and you need to justify the choice to your own conscience then it is as effective as the other alternatives: Some people can vote on good conscience for Bush (I don’t really see how, but those people do exist and they are quite numerous), some people can vote on good conscience for Kerry and some people just cannot bring themselves to vote for either politician or party on good conscience. The most “effective” solution for your own peace of mind would be to not vote in that case. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-why-i-dont-vote/264766/65 "2004-09-23T10:31:33Z")
As long as you are sufficiently shallow as to not have it affect your conscience that by failing to vote you failed to do your part towards preventing the candidate you dislike most from gaining office. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-why-i-dont-vote/264766/66 "2004-09-24T03:29:40Z")
> [@hlanelee](#): > > Someone correct me if I’m wrong and, unfortunatly, sometimes that happens, but didn’t the majority of the people that voted in the 2000 Presidential Election actually vote for Al Gore. You’re wrong. See [private sector cite](http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0876793.html) and [government cite](http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2000/elecpop.htm). Bush didn’t get a majority, and neither did Gore. In fact, Clinton didn’t get a majority when he got elected, either. It’s been a while since over 50% of the people who voted have agreed upon a president. ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-why-i-dont-vote/264766/67 "2004-09-24T08:50:48Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > As long as you are sufficiently shallow as to not have it affect your conscience that by failing to vote you failed to do your part towards preventing the candidate you dislike most from gaining office. I take it this is a general “you”. You say shallow, Abbey says lazy, and I say consequent action. Quite the spectrum of opinions. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-why-i-dont-vote/264766/68 "2004-09-24T10:12:45Z")
> [@Optihut](#): > > I take it this is a general “you”. Yes. Sorry didn’t mean it personally. > [@](#): > > You say shallow, Abbey says lazy, and I say consequent action. Quite the spectrum of opinions. But I’m waiting for any justification for the proposition that the inaction you advocate is in any real sense viable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-why-i-dont-vote/264766.md?page=3)