Why don't you vote?

klondikebar

I'm just curious since I have always voted in every election. I think it's such an amazing right we have and many people take it for granted by not participating.

klondikebar

No one is going to own up to not voting? I saw over 10% of you are not voting in the poll below. Or was that non-US residents selection that option? Hmmm...

jess60

In the past, (one Presidential & many local elections), I didn't vote because I was uniformed, didn't really care & like a PP said, was too lazy to educate myself.

Fianschneid

The first election I was able to vote was Bush/Gore. I was in college and too lazy/apathetic to research how to get my absentee ballot. Even though I live in a state that is decided long before election day, I learned my lesson that year and have voted ever since.

Like pps said, there are issues besides the POTUS on the ballot. Even if you can't make a difference because your state has been decided, your vote counts towards Congress, judges, etc.

I think of the women who fought for my right to vote and I'm embarrassed any time I think of complaining that the lines are too long, etc.

missymo

I've voted in every election since I was old enough to do so. I feel like the suffragists fought for this right for me, and there is no way in hell I will take it for granted.

However, I have many friends who did not vote when they were younger. I wouldn't call them lazy, just apathetic. It's typical of youth.

landosmommy

I will admit I am one of the ones that said I did not vote. I am not registered partly because, yes, I am lazy, partly because I feel like I am not qualified to vote, and partly because political stuff/debates rub me the wrong way. I really don't like discussing my personal views with others because it always leads to a debate, and I hate debates. I know I can educate myself on the propositions & the presidential candidates, but with me, it's all or nothing. If I am going to vote I will do as much research as possible to educate myself on the props before I make a decision. I don't agree with people voting just to vote. I think it's worse if they vote when they don't know anything about what they are voting for. I plan to register & vote next time. I should have this time. Once again, it really does fall down to being lazy. Guilty. 

Kitiara5512

I didn't used to vote... cause I wasn't a citizen. The right to vote was one of the big reasons I wanted to get my citizenship, but it took longer because I wanted to do it based on my eligibility and not cause of being married to H. I dont understand people who dont vote. H never voted before 2008 because he never felt he had much at stake before.

Karschingham

This was my first time voting, I'm 25. Last election I was living in another state and didn't know how to get my absentee ballot. I wanted to vote but didnt because of not knowing the steps to getting and Iowa ballot in Oregon.

This time I made sure that all my ducks were in a row and sent in my absentee ballot on Saturday, it was easier with people just knocking on my door making sure I was registered since we're in Iowa now. It felt so good and I'll definitely be voting from here on out.

MandaPanda518

I was saving this for FFFC, but I'll out myself here.

I'm embarrassed to say this is the first election I'm not voting in because I didn't realize I wasn't registered in this county to vote until it was too late.

I've been an active voter in years past, even volunteering at the polls. I feel dumb  

CoffeeBeen

allierhiana1:

I don't vote because I do not agree with our electoral college system.

Also, I'm a conservative in a liberal state, so me voting for president here makes no difference.  Yes, I could go vote for local government, but I know nothing about any of the candidates. 

Not necessarily. If Romney gets the popular vote but loses the EC then you'll get whining rights for the next 4 years.

Also - as pp said the local issues can have a huge impact on you as well.  Your local paper may have some nice ballot summaries for the next time around.

Wufroggy79

fredalina:

I just heard about a study about this on the radio. People don't vote because there are too many elections, both too often and too many candidates and offices to vote for. They don't vote because elections are on weekdays instead of weekends. And they don't vote because they are uninformed.

Which all adds up to one giant pile of lazy excuses.  There are countries in this world that would beg to have the chance to pick their leaders or decide policy.  

CoffeeBeen

MandaPanda518:

I was saving this for FFFC, but I'll out myself here.

I'm embarrassed to say this is the first election I'm not voting in because I didn't realize I wasn't registered in this county to vote until it was too late.

I've been an active voter in years past, even volunteering at the polls. I feel dumb  

This makes me so sad.  I saw many many people get turned away from the polls today because they thought they were registered but weren't.  I don't know why we make it hard for people to vote and then complain about low turnout.

tarebear9891

I can tell you why my husband doesn't and why I can't convince him to.

He believes that he has zero impact on politics. A lot of people feel that way. No argument I come up with has ever convinced him otherwise.

klondikebar

tarebear9891:

I can tell you why my husband doesn't and why I can't convince him to. He believes that he has zero impact on politics. A lot of people feel that way. No argument I come up with has ever convinced him otherwise.

If ony all of the people who felt that way would vote, they could make a difference. Have you tried bribing him;)

klondikebar

Fianschneid:

The first election I was able to vote was Bush/Gore. I was in college and too lazy/apathetic to research how to get my absentee ballot. Even though I live in a state that is decided long before election day, I learned my lesson that year and have voted ever since.

Like pps said, there are issues besides the POTUS on the ballot. Even if you can't make a difference because your state has been decided, your vote counts towards Congress, judges, etc.

I think of the women who fought for my right to vote and I'm embarrassed any time I think of complaining that the lines are too long, etc.

klondikebar

I Heart The 80s:

People are lazy, IMO. Even if someone doesn't want to vote for President...there are so many other things on the ballot.

I don't understand it either. I talked to a few people today at preschool drop off that weren't voting b/c they don't care for either presidential candidate. We have at 6 levies on the ballot! They don't care about how much their taxes could be raised and why?

tarebear9891

KlondikeBar:

tarebear9891:

I can tell you why my husband doesn't and why I can't convince him to. He believes that he has zero impact on politics. A lot of people feel that way. No argument I come up with has ever convinced him otherwise.

If ony all of the people who felt that way would vote, they could make a difference. Have you tried bribing him;)

Lol...yes I have...

I'm slowly bringing him to my side it just didn't happen this election. His family are hard core Republicans and I am the "crazy liberal" their son married. So it could have been worse and he could have gone their way. But in which case I probably wouldn't have married him.

ETA: and I say I wouldn't have married him only because I don't believe we would have been compatible if he were as far to the right as I am to the left.

MandaPanda518

CoffeeBeen:

MandaPanda518:

I was saving this for FFFC, but I'll out myself here.

I'm embarrassed to say this is the first election I'm not voting in because I didn't realize I wasn't registered in this county to vote until it was too late.

I've been an active voter in years past, even volunteering at the polls. I feel dumb  

This makes me so sad.  I saw many many people get turned away from the polls today because they thought they were registered but weren't.  I don't know why we make it hard for people to vote and then complain about low turnout.

To be honest, I really should have been more proactive about this, and made sure I was reregistered properly. I know we have to try and ensure that voting is fair, with only one vote per person, but I hope the process can become more streamlined to avoid turning people away. 

The Nap Taker

This probably doesn't count but I cannot vote due to the fact that I am not a resident of my current whereabouts.

This is the only election I have not been able to vote in.

BrittKav

Last election, even though I was very much hoping for an Obama win, I didn't vote. I was young (18), working on election day and too lazy to figure out how to vote early. I was also of the opinion that my vote didn't matter and NM (where I lived at the time) would go to Obama anyway.

This time, I think it's important to be a part of it even if my vote "doesn't matter" electorally. Indiana is definitely going to go to Romney, but it feels good to be a part of something I believe in. Also, I voted for Donnelly for senate, because I do not want Mourdock. 

mom2pottamus

Kitiara5512:

I didn't used to vote... cause I wasn't a citizen. The right to vote was one of the big reasons I wanted to get my citizenship, but it took longer because I wanted to do it based on my eligibility and not cause of being married to H. I dont understand people who dont vote. H never voted before 2008 because he never felt he had much at stake before.

My husband naturalized in 2000.  He has pretty firm beliefs about the privilege of being able to vote and make a difference.  The political stability of his homeland was close to non existent and he gave up his citizenship there when he became a US citizen.  It blows his mind that people don't realize how lucky we are to be able to vote, and vote without fearing retribution.

jess60

MandaPanda518:

I was saving this for FFFC, but I'll out myself here.

I'm embarrassed to say this is the first election I'm not voting in because I didn't realize I wasn't registered in this county to vote until it was too late.

I've been an active voter in years past, even volunteering at the polls. I feel dumb  

This would most likely have been me if I didn't live in MN where you are allowed to register on election day at your polling station.  I think more states should allow this, considering the fact that MN has had the highest voter turnout in the last eight straight elections (67.6% average in the last 6 years).

KNemo

My state makes it way too easy to vote. Every registered voter gets mailed a ballot, voter guide, and voter cheat sheet based on party alignment. All you do is fill in the bubbles, sign the envelope, and mail before the deadline. If you don't vote in the state of Washington, your only excuse is laziness!

MandaPanda518

jess60:

MandaPanda518:

I was saving this for FFFC, but I'll out myself here.

I'm embarrassed to say this is the first election I'm not voting in because I didn't realize I wasn't registered in this county to vote until it was too late.

I've been an active voter in years past, even volunteering at the polls. I feel dumb  

This would most likely have been me if I didn't live in MN where you are allowed to register on election day at your polling station.  I think more states should allow this, considering the fact that MN has had the highest voter turnout in the last eight straight elections (67.6% average in the last 6 years).

That's really interesting. I wonder if voter turnout would increase with this. I also wonder if voter fraud would increase too. Have there been many cases of that?