People Don't Take Voting Seriously Enough
Or democracy in general, come to think of it
Voting is an essential part of the democratic process.
Did you just roll your eyes? Did you sneer in disgust, or start typing a comment about how I clearly live in a fantasy world? Do you think I’m hopelessly naive?
I understand. A lot of people feel that way.
Far too many people feel that their vote is worthless, and for good reason; certain people have a vested interest in keeping your voice silenced and your hopes low. I’ve written a very impassioned article on voter suppression in the past, so I won’t rehash my arguments here.
I’ll just put a big shiny link here and hope you read it! Pretty please?
It’s understandable that many people just don’t see the point of voting in a system where they feel disenfranchised. I wish they didn’t feel that way; if your vote truly didn’t matter, there wouldn’t be such a huge, profitable industry built on denying you your right to do it.
Voting is not the only way to engage with democracy, but it is the most obvious tool in your kit. It’s the way by which you indicate who you want to work for you.
And I do mean work for you. In a truly democratic system, you are their boss. They serve the public, not themselves. Think of campaign season not as a popularity contest, but as a job interview.
You’re the hiring manager, and they’re desperately making their case as to why you should want them to do the job over the other guy.
This is why the idea of protest voting seems to make sense on paper but doesn’t actually accomplish much in reality. You might be trying to send the message that your vote needs to be earned, but withholding that vote or giving it to a third party doesn’t get that message across.
Yes, we want to see candidates that make us excited to vote for them rather than against somebody else. We hate on ‘voting for the lesser evil,’ but frankly, what the fuck is the alternative? Voting for the greater evil? Choosing to stay home on election day?
How does that help anybody? What practical effect does that have?
Voting, for better or worse, is about choosing the outcome that suits you best out of the available options. It’s about choosing the candidate that best represents your views and ideals, and who you can stand to work with.
Political candidates always screw up in one way or another, so it’s also a choice of who you want to be fighting against when the time comes to get in the street and protest.
Do you want the candidate who might listen to activists and be swayed or the one who responds to protests with a violent crackdown and jackbooted thugs on the road?
These are questions that need to be carefully weighed before you cast your ballot. Withholding your vote is not a refusal to choose; it’s a choice to be passive and have no say in the outcome. It is a choice to ignore your duty and surrender, to let other people decide your future for you.
Even if the medicine tastes bitter, refusing to take it just lets that sickness keep on festering.
Sometimes you just need to hold your nose and gulp it down.
Voting is not a lifestyle choice or a means of self-expression; it is a responsibility that requires forethought, research, and careful consideration.
It is an essential right that was fought for by so many marginalized communities, precisely because they understood how important it was for them to have a say in who their representatives are.
Ask the Suffragettes if they thought voting was a worthless endeavour. You might need to acquire a time machine, but if you have one, this is a good way to use it.
Be prepared to shield your face if you do, though; they quite literally fought for the right to cast ballots. Those ladies knew what they were about, and they did not pull their very literal punches.
While you’re at it, take a trip to Selma in 1965 and ask the marchers there why they were so gung-ho to see voting rights cemented in law across the entire United States. Black citizens had the right to vote on paper, but not in practice, as the various States laid down their own rules about how to determine who could register for a ballot.
They were willing to brave physical violence and murder at the hands of police and an angry mob to win that certainty and equality under the law. The simple right to have their vote counted was that important.
1965 was not that long ago. It has only been 60 years, almost to the day; the third Selma march took place on March 21st.
So, why am I talking about this right now? Well, while election season in the United States is over—possibly forever—here in Canada, it has yet to begin.
We’re in an election year. We’re watching what happens when a lot of people feel like they don’t need to bother showing up at the polling station, and I, for one, am eager to avoid a repeat.
Voting matters. And I am pleading with everyone in my country to take it seriously.
Looking south of the border, watching the election debacle and hearing from American voters has been…enlightening.
I’m astounded by how few people pay attention in the lead-up to voting day.
I saw someone talking about how they answered a few questions on a political internet quiz and voted for Trump because the quiz told them to—he likened this to ‘fact-checking.’
I’m going to get a little feisty now, so as a proper Canadian, I must apologize in advance.
But what the fuck is WRONG with people? That’s an abdication of your adult responsibilities!
This one guy does not speak for the entire American public, and I’m not trying to shame those who did their due diligence and made their choice based on reason and sound judgement.
Y’all are cool. Keep it up.
But when I see ‘undecided voter’ panels on the news, or listen to interviews from former MAGA voters who regret their vote, and I listen to the reasons they give for why they voted the way they did, I’m stunned.
The lack of thought so many of them put into it is shocking. The lack of effort involved in such an important and meaningful decision is amazing to me.
Voting is a hard-won right, a responsibility and an obligation. It, along with every other form of political engagement, is the tax we pay to keep democracy in good working order.
And yet, so many people give it the same degree of importance as texting American Idol about who they think should win!
We’re looking at the consequences right now, and a lot of people are already feeling the pain. Barely two months in, and people are suffering. You’ll be dealing with this for four years at minimum, likely longer. Knowing history the way I do, even when Trump passes away, his legacy will continue to taint American ‘democracy’ for years to come.
That’s assuming he leaves office in four years, which I doubt.
And here’s the thing; as much as Trump’s sycophants and lackeys claim that he won in a landslide, with an overwhelming mandate from unbelievable numbers—they’re bullshitting. Trump barely scraped that win, and he didn’t even gain any new voters since the 2020 election.
Trump won, not because his message resonated with the American public, but because an astonishing number of people decided not to exercise their right to vote.
People didn’t take it seriously enough. Now, the entire world will have to pay the price.
This past year is a cautionary tale. Everyone watching from outside of the United States should feel a chill; they should be standing at attention, looking at their own potential candidates—whether an election is imminent or not—and doing their research.
We need to learn from this. And when the time comes, we need to make better decisions.
Solidarity wins.
"an astonishing number of people decided not to exercise their right to vote." Add to that, massive voter suppression by the millions. Some independent journalists are already predicting that the mid-terms in 2026 will be an exercise in futility as the election is already being mapped out this year. In 2028, Trump just may cancel elections altogether claiming an insurrection.
I will do my best to vote whenever I have a chance but if they start suppressing voters over religious beliefs, I will be out of luck.
"But what the fuck is WRONG with people? That’s an abdication of your adult responsibilities!" This is what I screamed in my head when I heard the news that tRump won and about 1/3 of people did not vote. I am sure Canada will do better.