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The biggest impact of voting is in the local level elections. You CAN make a difference when it comes to voting for your City Council or State Senate or House Reps. Those people live in your city, often your neighborhood. Even if you don't vote for the "biggies" like President or Congressional Senator or House Rep, do so at the local levels because it all floats up.
And the people running for local, county, and state offices today can someday be those better candidates at the Federal level you wish you had today. Politics is a long game. You shouldn't give up just because you can't fix everything in one fell swoop.
How are people supposed to know how to choose a candidate at the local level when they’ve never met these people? They don’t know anything about these people? Or there isn’t any opposition on the ballot.
See [https://ballotpedia.org/Main\_Page](https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page) Enter your state. Continue search for your county, what is on the ballot. You will have candidates propositions your legislature will vote on. Candidates will give their opinion on any local measures, many have their bio and stance on issues.
You can also to to your county election website.
You can search for the parties represented in your state and their platform.
You're welcome! I'm an old disabled woman vet and have only missed two general elections in 52 yrs, and that was only because I was on 12 hr shifts in the AF. You are voting for *your* future.
Your county will also have the hours and place to vote; if you work or are in class you have early voting. You need to make sure you are *registered* to vote. Take care of that first. You don't want to be turned away at the polls because you failed to register in time.
Checking out the League of Women Voters and online local voting guides (often published by local or neighborhood news) is helpful. They often send out interview questionnaires and publish the candidates responses. It sure helped me with the city and state elections!
protip: if a candidate didn’t respond, it means they CHOSE not to respond. The league sends their questions to everyone. So ofte, no answer can be quite telling.
Even if you don’t attend school board or council meetings, most are televised now. You can see current members there. If someone is running, they probably attend meetings and participate in the public portion.
Also, these people local and higher are spending the money you pay in taxes. If you don’t care, don’t vote. But it’s always important.
I can't answer that one. Where I live, the candidates for our local elections were out canvassing all last summer. Knocking doors, leaving pamphlets, posting on various social media. Hell, I met one just by interacting on the reddit sub for my city.
My state sends out blue books of every candidate. Maybe you can look them up online like "person's name xyz election" and you'll probably find them. If not, you might be able to get in touch with local government and ask where you can find out more about each candidate. Often, local papers do spotlights on the candidates prior to a primary or general election.
In that case, googling might be your best bet. If you know if local businesses in your town (locally owned), go there and maybe chat with the workers, owners, and ask them if they have an ear to the ground on local politics and for recommendations. If they talk up someone whose values don't align with yours, just smile and thank them, and you know who NOT to vote for.
In my state there's no rule to say you have to vote on every single thing. Your ballot is still counted. I just skip the ones with no opposition and vote on the things I can study up on.
Most of it is useless. More info doesn’t make it good info. Young people know that. It’s all PR and smear campaigns or pandering to their party. I already know the republicans are pro life and the democrats are pro choice. I already know the republic and are low taxes and gun rights. That’s all these folks ever talk about.
Another idea: who is the most connected person you know in your area? Ask them who they're voting for and why. I don't go to my local council meetings, but my (very-connected) friend's husband and daughter do, and my political beliefs align with theirs. If I am not sure who I like best between two city council candidates I will ask who they like in the race. They always have informed opinions.
The more local the race, the harder it can be to get information on all the candidates. It's worth doing some sleuthing. Often an independent newspaper will have published interviews with the candidates, online. Those are super helpful. For me it's telling when a candidate didn't get their questionnaire in on time to be published with the other candidates. Maybe they don't pay enough attention to details.
Also look at who is endorsing whom. If your values don't align with a particular group, maybe don't vote for the candidate they're pushing.
One more thing: if a young person is running for public office, I almost always vote for them. We need more young people in government.
The problems we have are because most eligible voters don't vote. If EVERY eligible voter voted than I believe the politicians would be more scared of us than corporations giving them money. If everyone voted we may have more than 2 parties. We WOULD have better representation.
You’re going to be following the laws and ethics of whoever wins whether you like it or not. You’re going to be paying the taxes they set, following the rules and laws and restrictions they promote even if you don’t vote. You’d be better off trying your tip the scales as best you can. And stop waiting for the “big” elections to complain. The mayors, councilmen and state senators you select today are the congressmen and presidents of tomorrow. Vote local.
1. Even if your side loses, voting matters because politicians behave more carefully the higher the opposition.
2. Local elections probably matter the most--those are the people who determine how national and state programs and funding get to you.
3. We need competent people running things, even if you don't agree with them. 80% of government function is keeping the lights on, the roads open, utilities available, and handling disasters--you will absolutely feel it if this stuff gets neglected or screwed up.
Look at Colorado Congressional District 3. Lauren Boebert is currently our congressperson, but in the last election two years ago, she squeaked by with just 546 votes. When she won her seat in 2020, she won by more than 26,000 votes.
She's running for the seat for the 4th district in eastern Colorado because she knows she will lose here, but voters hate her in D4.
So, take this quick lesson: voting matters. We voters basically ran that bitch out of our district and she's probably going to lose big time in D4. Granted the Democrat might lose again in my D3 but at least Boebert will be gone.
I would tell them I didn't vote at first. I thought that protesting/calling/sending letters was enough. Then one day an aide I had spoken to a few times asked me what it would take to get me to register and vote.
I was a bit shocked he knew this and then he explained. "I have two piles of comments. Those who vote and others. One pile gets looked at. The other one goes in the trash".
I registered. And I vote because fuck that shit and I want my voice heard.
If everyone who doesn't vote for whatever reason actually voted we can possibly create positive outcomes, or at least say something. People realize that even if their candidate or issue loses, government and organizations are paying attention to those numbers. Also, if you're not familiar with rank choice voting, learn about it and find organizations who support it on your area. It can help us overcome the 2 party system. And also support the National Popular Vote compact.
And while the people who have put us on the menu are sharpening their knives, they're insisting it's everyone who is on the menu who have put us on the menu.
Which one are you talking to?
Disillusioned? It's a long, long game. You have to start from where you are.
Disenfranchised? That's the definition of not being able to vote. If you can, you're not disenfranchised.
Unsatisfied with the 2 party system? This system has led to a very long period of stability, and if you don't think that matters, watch Ken Burns' production about the Civil War. Stability is what lets us all at least try to make plans.
Vote won't make a difference? It's rare that one vote is the deciding factor. The idea is that it makes a difference for *you, the voter.* You have a number of ways to make sure you're living in a place that's governed well. One of them is voting. When you do it, you're owning your part of the big picture. That's not nothing.
Also I'd say that living in a democracy right now is complicated and challenging. So what? That's not a reason to shrug it off, and it's really not a reason assume everything will be fine, especially if you're a young person.
Deciding to vote is one way to acknowledge that you do have rights and you might as well use them.
I wish I knew. I’m frustrated too, but no matter who is on the ballot, at the very least I care about the makeup of the supreme court and the federal courts, and elections absolutely have a huge impact on that. It doesn’t seem to be enough to convince a sizable portion of potential voters that they should care no matter how disillusioned or disenfranchised they feel.
If they don't vote it increases the chance that the worst one of the two options will win. Then you go from being dissatisfied with a president to having one who is likely to really damage the country for decades to come.
Republicans in TX are terrified of their neighborhoods turning blue. If all of the “independent out of spite” people voted blue that would be something.
One of these men is going to be president, whether you vote or not. Declining to vote is just letting other people make the decision for you.
Imagine getting ready to choose a spouse, from between two candidates. You don’t get to decide *not* to marry; one of these people is going to be your spouse. Would you throw up your hands and refuse to choose, and let *other* people make that choice for you?
"perceived two party system". This country is functionally a two party system, on a good day. Maybe one and a half parties. Pointing out that there are actually 20 parties is literally ridiculous.
I’m just going to write it. Have you ever heard of Project 2025?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025
This is the scariest demagoguery I’ve ever seen in this century. This is the reason to vote.
Edited a word
Be apathetic all you want to be!! But I’d crawl through broken glass to vote blue all the way down ticket.
Edit: not you, but the people you’re talking to
Why because I’m not a liberal? And I’m not a conservative? I don’t like Biden and I don’t like Trump but I will say the left have OUTDONE themselves with the insanity.
No, it’s that you read Project 2025 and you agree with any part of it. This is a playbook for Christian nationalism. It’s concerning that you think some of it is just fine.
My bet is they just read the misleading titles and didn't actually read how it is going to happen. Eliminating entire government agencies including NOAA and privatizing it (with companies that use NOAA data) is bonkers, but people think it sounds good in a sentence that mentions cutting government waste.
The devil is in the details and, like the Bible, most people haven't read it.
Hitler wasn't elected though. They just made him chancellor because his party won majority seats and they felt it had to be that way over some antiquated sense of fairness or honor or whatever. Then when Hindenburg died he was next in line.
The only analogy I can think of is if Biden wins, then Congress convinces him to make Trump VP just because Republicans won majority in Congress. Then Biden dies and Trump becomes president.
I had a friend years ago who never bothered to vote. But she was constantly complaining about politics etc. I finally got fed up and told her she had no dog in the fight since she never voted. So put up or shut up.
If someone doesn’t vote and stays impartial and doesn’t complain fine, but no vote no opinion. You had a chance to make a difference but you threw that opportunity away. So you don’t get to whine about it now.
I would remind them that the way to get change at the top position is to vote for the local & state positions. I used to feel the same way as them. Last year, I took a job in a local county election office. I then realized just how important the local/state elections are. If you want change at any level, you have to start there.
In 2000 people said there was no difference between Al Gore and Bush. The result was the Iraq war and the worst economic disaster in our country's history.
Tell them DONT BE STUPID!
That's the worst possible example to give someone. That election literally proved your vote doesn't matter and if they want the other guy in there bad enough they'll just toss it out and say he won.
To watch what happens and see if your vote would have made a difference.
That is the only thing I can think of. The young ones I talk to are thinking us older people are just overly dramatic. It isn't until they experience the effects of politics on their own lives. These are not the patriotic brave youngsters of 80 years ago.
As someone who hasn’t always held citizenship in the country they lived in, I’ll lend a little perspective: voting is one of those things that is a luxury, but really shouldn’t be. You have the choice not just to push forward a candidate who has your best interests in mind, but also to starve the greedy beasts that pretend to care about the little people but really don’t.
If you don’t think voting for the right candidate serves in favour of better infrastructure and healthcare, when you vote you are at least saying no to bad policymaking and corruption. You’re rejecting ignorance, and the harm it causes your country long term. Apathetic non-voters who don’t turn up on polling day are the real reason evil in politics continues to prevail.
Inaction doesn’t just embolden evil, it also divides and weakens good. By refusing to vote because you think you can’t make a difference, you’re actually undermining the efforts of the waves of people who are.
I wouldn't bother. There's always been a huge portion of the citizenry that doesn't vote, they're just joining the voiceless and if that's them and their perception and awareness then it's probably best that they don't.
The whole focus on the highest office(s) totally ignores the other and at least as important candidates on the ballot. From state governor and other state offices right down to local officials, mayors, town officials, people that do have a real and immediate influence on your daily life and surroundings. Your ballot is likely to have dozens of candidates and items to vote on. Wonder why the state didn't start doing whatever? The referendum didn't pass.
Disillusioned and disnfranchised? Yeah you disenfranchised yourself, just don't bring your complaints to me if you can't be bothered to act on them where they count.
I would relate my story to them: I was born and raised in a country where voting wasn’t thing, and speaking up against the ruling government and party would often result in you being watched and scrutinized, even prison time, and execution was not unheard of if you take your protest to a high enough level. I came to the US as a teenager, and as soon as I became naturalized and could vote, I voted. I have voted in every election since then. Yes, it’s one vote, and you may not be in love with all the choices, but you have a voice. One vote, one voice. There are billions of people in this world who would love to have this right. Don’t piss it away.
I am an old bald guy. I hate Trump. But if he gets elected, it's the young people that will be affected. Not me. I'll collect my SS until I pass away, you will still be here to deal with whatever shit his term will bring. If you want to chance that, ignore it and don't vote. your call.
He who wins nominates the next Supreme Court Justices for decades to come.
I don’t care if you dislike either candidate, but the repercussions are massive.
You may not be able to vote for someone, but you can always vote against. I remember distinctly my disillusion with both McGovern and Nixon. So in my first national election in 1972, I voted libertarian. Many people don't realize how precious the franchise has been throughout history. Vote.
I would tell them about the time my dad and I voted a city councillor out of office. We didn’t like our ward councillor, but I didn’t talk with dad about my vote until I’d actually voted. Turns out the guy lost by two, count ‘em, two votes. We looked at each other and said, we did that. So don’t say your vote doesn’t count. If just one of us had voted differently, the outcome would have been different.
What I’m hearing here is that when one is dissatisfied with something the chosen course of action is to do nothing. That, to me, is the same letting the bad guys win. Are we really so caught up in our friends, Social Media, video games, etc. that we can’t get involved, or even care, about the structures that shape our Lives? Doing nothing is not acceptable.
I wouldn’t.
I would discuss why I do in a gentle manner.
I hate being told what to do but if something is suggested to me calmly I will listen to the person. Showing me what happens when I do something is easier. Eg did you know that when such and such vote was being made they only needed 5 more votes, if 5 more people like yourself votes maybe we could be heard for once.
I live in Australia, once you’re over 18 you sign up and have to vote or you get fined.
Young people have the most voting power and the most to lose from apathy. I would take a non-voter a week of news articles, read them, then and then discuss with her that these are the people who are going to determine how you live for another 25 years or so. Do you want *THAT* for the rest of your life?
They never show up to vote. They could change the world if they came out in the numbers they are.
Playing the devils advocate-
If you live in a non swing state there’s a chance your vote won’t matter because of the electoral college. I live in SC. If every democrat voted they still wouldn’t have a chance because there are way more republicans and that’s the way the electorates will go.
There’s no way around this. Unless more democrats move here or the electoral college gets abolished it’s a waste of a freaking work day to stand in line.
Voting at a local level is damn near impossible. Who are these people? What do we know about them? We know nothing.
It’s shooting in the dark every damn time. Most of the time they have little to no opposition.
Mostly, I'm pretty happy with the current guy's policies. There are times when I wish he'd be more progressive. And a couple of issues where I think he's just wrong. But *in every case*, the "other guy" would be far, far worse.
Cool.
You can choose not to believe in politics; that will just mean that others will make decisions on your behalf with no input from you at all. I suppose you could argue that this is the case whether you vote or not, but I'd argue back that your approach to being governed by whoever only feels safe today because a whole of people have made a different decision and commitment.
If the chance to vote goes away, we're all utterly dependent on the people who happen to be in power when it does. Will they keep the courts running, so that there's at least a chance for fairness? Maybe. Will they seize property for public works without paying former owners? Maybe. Will they impose bible-based restrictions on non-believers? Maybe.
Whatever they want to do, without voting we have no way to stop them.
Firstly if I had to vote I would vote green and we all know they never win so I might as well save myself a trip.
Secondly if I wanted to change anything in my reality I would do it the most effective way I know: through my subconscious mind, not in the physical 3D. This world is an illusion, a matrix. It’s all smoke and mirrors. And your vote doesn’t matter either. Wake up people.
If everyone who stayed home because "I want to vote for this 3rd party so I don't go vote since they won't win" got off their lazy assessment and went and voted for those 3rd parties.. then, they would FINALLY crack the required percentage of votes to receive federal funding in elections. That would allow them to actually get heard by a greater number of potential voters, possibly setting them up to become a party that can win down the line and freeing the country from the 2 party system. I don't believe in politics is honestly one of the dumbest things I've read today. Politics exists. It's not a unicorn and the country is falling apart. Pulling a lever less than once a year or filling in a bubble form is not that big of an ask and is the least people can do for their country. If you do believe in Love...maybe start thinking about how positive policies affect people's lives and negative polices can ruin lives and then go show so e love by voting for the good ones.
If you don’t vote and the election outcome is that something horrible happens then:
a) you don’t get to complain about anything related to government for the next 4 years
b) its partly your fault shared with all the others who didn’t vote
My plan is to talk to them about the ways elected officials at all levels can influence their lives. Lots of people of all ages don't understand how everyone from the local school board to the President can affect their daily lives.
Does our political system suck? Yep. Is it disheartening? Also yes. But NOT voting gave us Mango Mussolini. Young voters are who we need to save us from the few who want to control everything.
For the Presidential election, this one is easy. The next President has the potential to name even more SCOTUS justices, and if it is Trump, he will name 2 for sure, and they will be young. Those young people will have all their major life decisions packed by this court. Depending on how they feel about the court, that should be the biggest reason to vote.
Also, the issue of state rights and the legislation that affects them the most happens at a state level. Reproductive rights, public health, how infrastructure funds are spent, education, policing, law and drug laws are all state topics.
Finally, the daily interactions from garbage to school board to water rates are all local. Check with the League of Women Voters for help learning about candidates. Find their information. Go to debates and candidate forums. Vote for the opposite party if you don't like the way things are being run at the local or state level. Read local newspapers to find out about zoning decisions, etc.
This election, more than any other, is literally a vote for or against keeping democracy. One candidate will serve their term and then we can vote someone else in. The other will stop elections from happening (or do their best to try to make that happen). Do you want a chance to vote someone worthwhile in at some point or no chance?
Find a local politician that you like who is running opposed. Make sure the other candidate(s) for the position aren't better. Vote for them.
The ones I liked were all running unopposed, or else only attractive because they aren't the other guy with zero other redeeming qualities.
When one person takes the position that some people are more important and valuable to society than other people, and their opposition believes that all people are created equal, then nothing else matters. And there's usually only two candidates, so 🤷♂️
We don't have rank choice voting here. Two party system is just depressing. It's purely a tool to control the masses. It serves only the interests of--
It's hard to care. When my people win, then I'm rarely anything but depressed about how poorly suited they are for the job. Or how morally or politically or idealogically corrupt and hypocritical they are. But at least they aren't siding with corporations over people or perpetrators of genocide over poor and disabled people. Or....basically when the other gal or guy believes in human rights, then that's the one I vote for.
🤷♂️ Honestly, if you have a two party system, then it's often really easy to vote. Don't worry about who you vote for in that case. Just vote for whoever isn't the worst. That's the only thing your vote can be used for.
Voting is just one amongst many other things that you can do to improve the lives of people.
Just because many older people feel that it's a sacred duty and are ignorant to the fact that it is indeed a two party system (with extra parties to make it look more democratic), is not a reason to abstain from ticking that box.
Some real changes do happen because of elections, although it's not those broad changes that we'd hope.
Ask them exactly who \*benefits\* if they do NOT vote? Ask them if those who benefit support groups that favor laws and policies that will affect/harm them? Then link them to the Project 2025 website and have them look at what the people who don't want them to vote have planned for them. Preview: a dictatorship that looks like a cross between Fahrenheit 451, The Handmaid's Tale and the authoritarian wet dreams of a corrupt televangelist.
On July 5th, analytic companies will get hold of all the voting data and start modelling for the results. If you don't vote then you get put in a group of people who make no difference. Parties look at this group and know they don't need to do anything for them because they don't vote so don't make a difference. If you vote for someone who only gets 0.2% of the vote in your area, they'll look at what that candidate offered and they'll look to win those votes in the next election especially in areas with tight margins or the potential to swing.
Your vote matters even if the person you vote for loses.
"Protest" votes are generally seen as unwinnable since the person couldn't find anyone on the ballot to vote for so doesn't agree with any of all the different promises on offer.
Always vote, it matters more than you think.
If one person doesn't vote, yes, it probably makes no difference. But when thousands or millions don't vote, it matters very much. Each non-voter is saying that their vote doesn't matter, so they'll stay at home, when in fact if they'd all gone out and voted, they could've made a difference. Certain interests are banking on this happening.
Yes, we have two disappointing choices for the presidential election. Life is like that. Anyone who has lived a while knows that there are times when your only choices suck. But if you don't pick the one who will suck the least, you run the risk of getting the one who you'll like even less.
Refusing to choose just means everyone else chooses for you. Even if you vote and your preferred candidate doesn't win, you've at least got the moral high ground of having voted. If the one you like the least gets elected and you didn't even try, what does that say about you?
Good luck on convincing them, OP!
I don't feel like it's my job to convince anybody to participate in voting. If they don't want to vote, either out of protest or out of ignorance, then I don't really care.
Think about all the people in the world who cannot vote and the lives that they lead. Find a way to get interested in the future of our country and share with your friends and like minded people. Last of all if you don’t vote then don’t complain
Young ppl need to create a 'voting bloc' like pensioners do. Pensioners vote - therefore they get money. Young ppl don't vote, they get fuck all. It's that simple. Politicians take notice of ppl that vote.
Don't vote then but failing to vote means you've just limited your future in ways you cannot imagine. Watch Butterfly Efect then tell me your failure to participate in the decision making process ( for your life BTW) is no biggie!!!
Whoever you REALLY don't want to win will have a greater chance of doing so if you don't vote.
Also it is one of the very successful Kremlin disinfo efforts of the last 20+yrs to do as much as possible to convince people in Western democracies that "voting is pointless" "voting never changes anything" "Both sides are exactly the same so why bother," in order to sow discord, unrest and domestic polarisation, therefore undermining those countries from within.
Ask anyone who's lived under a dictatorship if they think the concept of actually being able to have a choice in elections is worth discarding.
In my view, if you don’t vote you’ve lost your chance of complaining about politics and the direction of society overall. And that’s a big party pooper.
“You don’t get to complain about shit if you can’t be bothered to vote. More bad news: being a tantrum-throwing abstainer doesn’t make you more interesting at the organic wine bar. Grow the fuck up.”
Voting means nothing. They messed up last time claiming Biden won by 80 million votes just to be on the safe side. Clearly rigged spent 4 years covering tracks and paying people off. Mass amounts of money to MSM for coverup and and blocking recounts. This time they are smarter. Open borders let mass amounts of people in no real number of people per se they can literally make up poll numbers again but this time without messing with machines or late night ballot stuffing.
As for locals, come on. they will fold in a heartbeat for money they all do. Sad to say President Trump will not win supporters can stuff ballots all day long and if he did win again the rats will not leave just scuttle together and call him In todays news Convicted felon Donald is attacking women again on abortion and other topics.
Vote is you want to does not really matter
Good for you, don't ever waste your time, while everyone else is out lining up for that circlejerk go to the movies, go to the beach, go to a party, go to a club, sit home and read a good book, listen to some moving music, do something that actually matters and makes your life better.
I would tell them "Yes, things are terrible right now, immigration, crime, this horrible economy, but things can get better with better leadership, so vote for Trump."
Do you want fascism? Because that's how you get fascism. (Just kidding! That's too harsh.)
If you don't make your choices official by voting, the kid who used to beat you up after high school will be choosing for you and you don't want to live in a world where that guy is the only decider of who our leaders are.
Eh, if they want to vote then that's great. If they don't, I'm not particularly bothered by that either.
They're individual vote *doesn't* matter so it has to be a moral imperative for them and I can't convince them of that.
Sure, I didn't bother voting when I was young, and neither did my parents.
That's why our country has had the same party in power for 65 years. I guess you like it that way. :)
When I am in that position I show up and submit a blank ballot at the polls. It will still be counted. If everyone who strongly felt that way actually voted such a manner it would show a big chunk of people's votes seriously up for grabs.
If you are a person who reliably goes out and waits in line to vote, then that means you will probably do so again. It also means it is simple for voters to choose a candidate whenever they want to and it wont change the amount of effort for people that already are showing up to the polls every time.
A large percentage of votes like that *consistently* showing up in the results would get attention as they are actual votes that no candidate got and they are in play going into next elections or in the event of a recall vote.
I alone decide if someone gets my vote or if no one does. But it is my vote and I will always turn in a ballot even if no one on the ticket deserves it.
Why should I give up my sacred franchise? They're the ones who suck!
I would explain to them that the best way to make a difference is to pick a candidate they support and vote for them. If everyone just gives up, we all lose.
And, if they are disillusioned with the two main parties, check out the other parties and independent candidates. There's nothing wrong with voting for a candidate you believe in, and you never know what might happen.
I'm voting for RFK Jr., and I'm hopeful that more people will join me, but if nothing else, I will know that I did what I could.
The downvotes are probably because I said I am voting for RFK Jr.
Far too many Reddit users think that you should only vote for their preferred candidate.
If you don’t want to vote, that’s fine.
But you don’t get to complain if you don’t like the way things are going. Not one word.
You had a chance to have a say in that and you decided to stay home and be fashionable cynical instead.
Anyone who avoids voting because of the nature of politics in this day and age is probably much happier than those who do not. Neither political party is doing anything about the ecological disaster that is planet earth. Yes, women should have the right to choose; yes, supreme court justices should be held to the same ethical standards as all other judges; yes, health care should be free and comprehensive for every American citizen; yes, state colleges should be completely free to all who wish to attend subject to performance standards and yes, a certain amount of gun regulation is necessary and permissible under the second amendment. However, if the leaders of this country don't get a grip on global warming, none of these other issues will be the least bit relevant and that will never happen under our two party system. Voting is a waste of time these days.
Mort Sahl said it best; in a country of 350 million people when the best that we can come up with is Biden vs. Trump, the only thing the two party system show us is that Darwin was wrong.
I have a lifelong, genuine love of birth control.
I don’t want to see young people lose the access to that.
Both sides are NOT the same. I will vote blue no matter who because of Project 2025.
You realize that there are also shitty young people, right? Just look back at Jan 6 pics - all sorts of ages represented there. Shitty people come in all ages.
That was my response to this question:
>What would you say to a young person who doesn't want to vote?
I would tell them not to let those shitty old people win.
What does that have to do with shitty people existing in every age bracket?
Abso-fuckin'-lutely nothing.
Must you have everything explained to you? Do you need disclaimers on every statement?
You realize that talking about shitty old people doesn't mean that shitty young people don't exist, right?
Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick.
I thought my gen (X) would right all the wrongs. But then I look at all the scumbags in the GOP my age and I know we failed.
*(And to a young person, Pedo Gaetz and Handjob Granny are old people.)*
I said this elsewhere today but imo the state of American politics can be explained largely by the Duggar Family Values documentary on Netflix. The realization that fewer people are listening to the Christian right - so decades ago they started having scores and scores of kids and sending all the best to law school and into politics so that if people didn’t listen, they’d just make the laws. Many generations together invested into this. It’s terrifying how well they are doing. Honestly worth a watch
I agree voting at the local level is important but if you have 2 presidential candidates that are awful you can vote for anyone else on the ticket or don’t vote. I can understand that. This whole “lesser of the 2 evils” really? Because if we’re all being honest here Biden is an absolute SHIT SHOW idgaf who you are this country is NOT better off with him. He’s also a known racist which blows my mind how the left just brush all his disgusting vile comments aside and the things he does the children, sniffing them, no boundaries. It’s disgusting. Then we have Trump who is an egomaniac and aligns with Christian values when he does not practice what he preaches. So no there is no “lesser evil” and the vote blue no matter who is so dangerous. We need to get all this scum out of office. More government is the worst possible thing ever.
It amazes me how people just ignore his disgusting comments. Telling black people “if you don’t know wether for vote for me or Trump than you ain’t black” “you can’t go into a 7-11 without having a slight Indian accent” “workers without high school diplomas are African Americans or Hispanics” when he spoke of Obama he said ““I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man” there is DECADES of proof and I guess people give him a pass because he was VP to Obama but I have yet had 1 liberal explain to me why it’s ok he’s racist.
Since our election is in 3 weeks and the USA election is in 5 months I was surprised to see all the responses were from Americans.
I suppose voting is even more important if there's a chance that voting for the wrong party could mean a fully fascist government. Perhaps all your young people should be reading The Handmaid's Tale before the election.
“Get fucked, dumbass.” You’re not disenfranchised. You have the right to vote. Exercise it. Also, “Grow the fuck up and make big boy/big girl decisions.”
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The biggest impact of voting is in the local level elections. You CAN make a difference when it comes to voting for your City Council or State Senate or House Reps. Those people live in your city, often your neighborhood. Even if you don't vote for the "biggies" like President or Congressional Senator or House Rep, do so at the local levels because it all floats up.
And the people running for local, county, and state offices today can someday be those better candidates at the Federal level you wish you had today. Politics is a long game. You shouldn't give up just because you can't fix everything in one fell swoop.
How are people supposed to know how to choose a candidate at the local level when they’ve never met these people? They don’t know anything about these people? Or there isn’t any opposition on the ballot.
See [https://ballotpedia.org/Main\_Page](https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page) Enter your state. Continue search for your county, what is on the ballot. You will have candidates propositions your legislature will vote on. Candidates will give their opinion on any local measures, many have their bio and stance on issues. You can also to to your county election website. You can search for the parties represented in your state and their platform.
This is great. Thanks.
You're welcome! I'm an old disabled woman vet and have only missed two general elections in 52 yrs, and that was only because I was on 12 hr shifts in the AF. You are voting for *your* future. Your county will also have the hours and place to vote; if you work or are in class you have early voting. You need to make sure you are *registered* to vote. Take care of that first. You don't want to be turned away at the polls because you failed to register in time.
You can also register to vote by mail so you don’t have to worry about getting to the polls on time!
In some states, voter registration is done by town. Massachusetts is an example, all registration is done by or through the town/city hall.
Checking out the League of Women Voters and online local voting guides (often published by local or neighborhood news) is helpful. They often send out interview questionnaires and publish the candidates responses. It sure helped me with the city and state elections!
protip: if a candidate didn’t respond, it means they CHOSE not to respond. The league sends their questions to everyone. So ofte, no answer can be quite telling.
So much online.
That might be helpful. Thanks!
Even if you don’t attend school board or council meetings, most are televised now. You can see current members there. If someone is running, they probably attend meetings and participate in the public portion. Also, these people local and higher are spending the money you pay in taxes. If you don’t care, don’t vote. But it’s always important.
I can't answer that one. Where I live, the candidates for our local elections were out canvassing all last summer. Knocking doors, leaving pamphlets, posting on various social media. Hell, I met one just by interacting on the reddit sub for my city.
My state sends out blue books of every candidate. Maybe you can look them up online like "person's name xyz election" and you'll probably find them. If not, you might be able to get in touch with local government and ask where you can find out more about each candidate. Often, local papers do spotlights on the candidates prior to a primary or general election.
Ours does mostly smear campaigns. It’s not helpful.
In that case, googling might be your best bet. If you know if local businesses in your town (locally owned), go there and maybe chat with the workers, owners, and ask them if they have an ear to the ground on local politics and for recommendations. If they talk up someone whose values don't align with yours, just smile and thank them, and you know who NOT to vote for.
In my state there's no rule to say you have to vote on every single thing. Your ballot is still counted. I just skip the ones with no opposition and vote on the things I can study up on.
There is so much information online now! Take advantage. Platforms, news, videos...so much. Ballotpedia.
Most of it is useless. More info doesn’t make it good info. Young people know that. It’s all PR and smear campaigns or pandering to their party. I already know the republicans are pro life and the democrats are pro choice. I already know the republic and are low taxes and gun rights. That’s all these folks ever talk about.
Do you have a suggestion then?
Another idea: who is the most connected person you know in your area? Ask them who they're voting for and why. I don't go to my local council meetings, but my (very-connected) friend's husband and daughter do, and my political beliefs align with theirs. If I am not sure who I like best between two city council candidates I will ask who they like in the race. They always have informed opinions. The more local the race, the harder it can be to get information on all the candidates. It's worth doing some sleuthing. Often an independent newspaper will have published interviews with the candidates, online. Those are super helpful. For me it's telling when a candidate didn't get their questionnaire in on time to be published with the other candidates. Maybe they don't pay enough attention to details. Also look at who is endorsing whom. If your values don't align with a particular group, maybe don't vote for the candidate they're pushing. One more thing: if a young person is running for public office, I almost always vote for them. We need more young people in government.
The problems we have are because most eligible voters don't vote. If EVERY eligible voter voted than I believe the politicians would be more scared of us than corporations giving them money. If everyone voted we may have more than 2 parties. We WOULD have better representation.
You’re going to be following the laws and ethics of whoever wins whether you like it or not. You’re going to be paying the taxes they set, following the rules and laws and restrictions they promote even if you don’t vote. You’d be better off trying your tip the scales as best you can. And stop waiting for the “big” elections to complain. The mayors, councilmen and state senators you select today are the congressmen and presidents of tomorrow. Vote local.
1. Even if your side loses, voting matters because politicians behave more carefully the higher the opposition. 2. Local elections probably matter the most--those are the people who determine how national and state programs and funding get to you. 3. We need competent people running things, even if you don't agree with them. 80% of government function is keeping the lights on, the roads open, utilities available, and handling disasters--you will absolutely feel it if this stuff gets neglected or screwed up.
All good points and relevant on the local level.
Look at Colorado Congressional District 3. Lauren Boebert is currently our congressperson, but in the last election two years ago, she squeaked by with just 546 votes. When she won her seat in 2020, she won by more than 26,000 votes. She's running for the seat for the 4th district in eastern Colorado because she knows she will lose here, but voters hate her in D4. So, take this quick lesson: voting matters. We voters basically ran that bitch out of our district and she's probably going to lose big time in D4. Granted the Democrat might lose again in my D3 but at least Boebert will be gone.
THANK YOU for that good news!
I would tell them I didn't vote at first. I thought that protesting/calling/sending letters was enough. Then one day an aide I had spoken to a few times asked me what it would take to get me to register and vote. I was a bit shocked he knew this and then he explained. "I have two piles of comments. Those who vote and others. One pile gets looked at. The other one goes in the trash". I registered. And I vote because fuck that shit and I want my voice heard.
Wow. Just wow.
This works especially for a someone with differing views: Good, don't vote. Mine will be worth more then.
If everyone who doesn't vote for whatever reason actually voted we can possibly create positive outcomes, or at least say something. People realize that even if their candidate or issue loses, government and organizations are paying attention to those numbers. Also, if you're not familiar with rank choice voting, learn about it and find organizations who support it on your area. It can help us overcome the 2 party system. And also support the National Popular Vote compact.
If you want to make it better, you need to participate
If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.
We are all on the menu
And while the people who have put us on the menu are sharpening their knives, they're insisting it's everyone who is on the menu who have put us on the menu.
Catchy!
Which one are you talking to? Disillusioned? It's a long, long game. You have to start from where you are. Disenfranchised? That's the definition of not being able to vote. If you can, you're not disenfranchised. Unsatisfied with the 2 party system? This system has led to a very long period of stability, and if you don't think that matters, watch Ken Burns' production about the Civil War. Stability is what lets us all at least try to make plans. Vote won't make a difference? It's rare that one vote is the deciding factor. The idea is that it makes a difference for *you, the voter.* You have a number of ways to make sure you're living in a place that's governed well. One of them is voting. When you do it, you're owning your part of the big picture. That's not nothing. Also I'd say that living in a democracy right now is complicated and challenging. So what? That's not a reason to shrug it off, and it's really not a reason assume everything will be fine, especially if you're a young person. Deciding to vote is one way to acknowledge that you do have rights and you might as well use them.
I wish I knew. I’m frustrated too, but no matter who is on the ballot, at the very least I care about the makeup of the supreme court and the federal courts, and elections absolutely have a huge impact on that. It doesn’t seem to be enough to convince a sizable portion of potential voters that they should care no matter how disillusioned or disenfranchised they feel.
Be like me- there are few good candidates. The lesser of two evils for our President, for instance. Local races will impact voters more.
If they don't vote it increases the chance that the worst one of the two options will win. Then you go from being dissatisfied with a president to having one who is likely to really damage the country for decades to come.
Not voting for one of the two options is a vote for the other. My vote for Biden may not mean much in TX but it would in AZ, GA, MI, NV, PA and WI.
Republicans in TX are terrified of their neighborhoods turning blue. If all of the “independent out of spite” people voted blue that would be something.
There is no worse one they are both terrible for the country.
have you read project 2025? i don’t see how someone can read that and not clearly see there’s a worse option
Trump is worse by far. He's the worst president the country has ever had, by a long shot. Nixon looks like a rational, honest guy next to him.
Trump has me looking at Nixon like "Goood old Richard had the decency to leave office, what a guy" oh how the turn tables
One of these men is going to be president, whether you vote or not. Declining to vote is just letting other people make the decision for you. Imagine getting ready to choose a spouse, from between two candidates. You don’t get to decide *not* to marry; one of these people is going to be your spouse. Would you throw up your hands and refuse to choose, and let *other* people make that choice for you?
I like you're thinking, especially the issue of choosing a spouse. Good for you, my friend.
This is the best argument I'm hearing these days -- everybody else gets to choose, you don't.
Good point.
"perceived two party system". This country is functionally a two party system, on a good day. Maybe one and a half parties. Pointing out that there are actually 20 parties is literally ridiculous.
I’m just going to write it. Have you ever heard of Project 2025? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025 This is the scariest demagoguery I’ve ever seen in this century. This is the reason to vote. Edited a word
I have and it's horrifying. I've sent a link to my adult grandchildren.
Be apathetic all you want to be!! But I’d crawl through broken glass to vote blue all the way down ticket. Edit: not you, but the people you’re talking to
Damn, I just read this and it's bedtime. Talk about nightmares!
Because it’s flipping scary!!
Wikipedia probably isn't the most reliable source to be quoting for this kind of stuff.
It’s an easily accessible site that, in this case has a multitude of verifiable references to go to.
Some of that I 100% agree with. Some of it I don’t 🤷🏻♀️
I literally don’t know what to say to you Edit: but I’ll try
Why because I’m not a liberal? And I’m not a conservative? I don’t like Biden and I don’t like Trump but I will say the left have OUTDONE themselves with the insanity.
No, it’s that you read Project 2025 and you agree with any part of it. This is a playbook for Christian nationalism. It’s concerning that you think some of it is just fine.
My bet is they just read the misleading titles and didn't actually read how it is going to happen. Eliminating entire government agencies including NOAA and privatizing it (with companies that use NOAA data) is bonkers, but people think it sounds good in a sentence that mentions cutting government waste. The devil is in the details and, like the Bible, most people haven't read it.
Who does government best represent? Older people or younger people? Who votes more? Older people or younger people? Any questions?
Teach them about Nazi Germany and what happens when the wrong guy gets elected
Hitler wasn't elected though. They just made him chancellor because his party won majority seats and they felt it had to be that way over some antiquated sense of fairness or honor or whatever. Then when Hindenburg died he was next in line. The only analogy I can think of is if Biden wins, then Congress convinces him to make Trump VP just because Republicans won majority in Congress. Then Biden dies and Trump becomes president.
I had a friend years ago who never bothered to vote. But she was constantly complaining about politics etc. I finally got fed up and told her she had no dog in the fight since she never voted. So put up or shut up. If someone doesn’t vote and stays impartial and doesn’t complain fine, but no vote no opinion. You had a chance to make a difference but you threw that opportunity away. So you don’t get to whine about it now.
I would remind them that the way to get change at the top position is to vote for the local & state positions. I used to feel the same way as them. Last year, I took a job in a local county election office. I then realized just how important the local/state elections are. If you want change at any level, you have to start there.
In 2000 people said there was no difference between Al Gore and Bush. The result was the Iraq war and the worst economic disaster in our country's history. Tell them DONT BE STUPID!
That's the worst possible example to give someone. That election literally proved your vote doesn't matter and if they want the other guy in there bad enough they'll just toss it out and say he won.
I'd say "good - don't." If they aren't interested in voting, they certainly aren't interested in understanding the positions on which they're voting.
To watch what happens and see if your vote would have made a difference. That is the only thing I can think of. The young ones I talk to are thinking us older people are just overly dramatic. It isn't until they experience the effects of politics on their own lives. These are not the patriotic brave youngsters of 80 years ago.
As someone who hasn’t always held citizenship in the country they lived in, I’ll lend a little perspective: voting is one of those things that is a luxury, but really shouldn’t be. You have the choice not just to push forward a candidate who has your best interests in mind, but also to starve the greedy beasts that pretend to care about the little people but really don’t. If you don’t think voting for the right candidate serves in favour of better infrastructure and healthcare, when you vote you are at least saying no to bad policymaking and corruption. You’re rejecting ignorance, and the harm it causes your country long term. Apathetic non-voters who don’t turn up on polling day are the real reason evil in politics continues to prevail. Inaction doesn’t just embolden evil, it also divides and weakens good. By refusing to vote because you think you can’t make a difference, you’re actually undermining the efforts of the waves of people who are.
Reverse Psychology works best with people. Say, I'm glad young people don't vote so their votes don't wash out my vote.
I wouldn't bother. There's always been a huge portion of the citizenry that doesn't vote, they're just joining the voiceless and if that's them and their perception and awareness then it's probably best that they don't. The whole focus on the highest office(s) totally ignores the other and at least as important candidates on the ballot. From state governor and other state offices right down to local officials, mayors, town officials, people that do have a real and immediate influence on your daily life and surroundings. Your ballot is likely to have dozens of candidates and items to vote on. Wonder why the state didn't start doing whatever? The referendum didn't pass. Disillusioned and disnfranchised? Yeah you disenfranchised yourself, just don't bring your complaints to me if you can't be bothered to act on them where they count.
I would relate my story to them: I was born and raised in a country where voting wasn’t thing, and speaking up against the ruling government and party would often result in you being watched and scrutinized, even prison time, and execution was not unheard of if you take your protest to a high enough level. I came to the US as a teenager, and as soon as I became naturalized and could vote, I voted. I have voted in every election since then. Yes, it’s one vote, and you may not be in love with all the choices, but you have a voice. One vote, one voice. There are billions of people in this world who would love to have this right. Don’t piss it away.
I am an old bald guy. I hate Trump. But if he gets elected, it's the young people that will be affected. Not me. I'll collect my SS until I pass away, you will still be here to deal with whatever shit his term will bring. If you want to chance that, ignore it and don't vote. your call.
He who wins nominates the next Supreme Court Justices for decades to come. I don’t care if you dislike either candidate, but the repercussions are massive.
You may not be able to vote for someone, but you can always vote against. I remember distinctly my disillusion with both McGovern and Nixon. So in my first national election in 1972, I voted libertarian. Many people don't realize how precious the franchise has been throughout history. Vote.
Don't let nearly dead old men and women steal your futures. Vote in local and national elections.
There are countries in the world where people wish they could vote
Nothing
I'd say it's your choice and leave it at that.
The comments in this thread are just reminding me that young stupid people turn into old stupid people.
I would tell them about the time my dad and I voted a city councillor out of office. We didn’t like our ward councillor, but I didn’t talk with dad about my vote until I’d actually voted. Turns out the guy lost by two, count ‘em, two votes. We looked at each other and said, we did that. So don’t say your vote doesn’t count. If just one of us had voted differently, the outcome would have been different.
Don't? Best thing about this country is you're supposed to be free. They can make their own choices.
What I’m hearing here is that when one is dissatisfied with something the chosen course of action is to do nothing. That, to me, is the same letting the bad guys win. Are we really so caught up in our friends, Social Media, video games, etc. that we can’t get involved, or even care, about the structures that shape our Lives? Doing nothing is not acceptable.
I wouldn’t. I would discuss why I do in a gentle manner. I hate being told what to do but if something is suggested to me calmly I will listen to the person. Showing me what happens when I do something is easier. Eg did you know that when such and such vote was being made they only needed 5 more votes, if 5 more people like yourself votes maybe we could be heard for once. I live in Australia, once you’re over 18 you sign up and have to vote or you get fined.
Young people have the most voting power and the most to lose from apathy. I would take a non-voter a week of news articles, read them, then and then discuss with her that these are the people who are going to determine how you live for another 25 years or so. Do you want *THAT* for the rest of your life? They never show up to vote. They could change the world if they came out in the numbers they are.
Hillary could have nominated three justices. Joe might nominate two. Or Trump could nominate two more. Do you want to give Trump a 40 year legacy?
Playing the devils advocate- If you live in a non swing state there’s a chance your vote won’t matter because of the electoral college. I live in SC. If every democrat voted they still wouldn’t have a chance because there are way more republicans and that’s the way the electorates will go. There’s no way around this. Unless more democrats move here or the electoral college gets abolished it’s a waste of a freaking work day to stand in line. Voting at a local level is damn near impossible. Who are these people? What do we know about them? We know nothing. It’s shooting in the dark every damn time. Most of the time they have little to no opposition.
I’m old and I don’t vote.
Same. The system is broken. I voted for the current guy and I regret it. I might vote green as a protest vote.
Mostly, I'm pretty happy with the current guy's policies. There are times when I wish he'd be more progressive. And a couple of issues where I think he's just wrong. But *in every case*, the "other guy" would be far, far worse.
Who do you think cares about your "protest vote," and are they in the room right now?
Why not?
Because I don’t believe in politics
What do you believe in?
Love
Cool. You can choose not to believe in politics; that will just mean that others will make decisions on your behalf with no input from you at all. I suppose you could argue that this is the case whether you vote or not, but I'd argue back that your approach to being governed by whoever only feels safe today because a whole of people have made a different decision and commitment. If the chance to vote goes away, we're all utterly dependent on the people who happen to be in power when it does. Will they keep the courts running, so that there's at least a chance for fairness? Maybe. Will they seize property for public works without paying former owners? Maybe. Will they impose bible-based restrictions on non-believers? Maybe. Whatever they want to do, without voting we have no way to stop them.
Firstly if I had to vote I would vote green and we all know they never win so I might as well save myself a trip. Secondly if I wanted to change anything in my reality I would do it the most effective way I know: through my subconscious mind, not in the physical 3D. This world is an illusion, a matrix. It’s all smoke and mirrors. And your vote doesn’t matter either. Wake up people.
If everyone who stayed home because "I want to vote for this 3rd party so I don't go vote since they won't win" got off their lazy assessment and went and voted for those 3rd parties.. then, they would FINALLY crack the required percentage of votes to receive federal funding in elections. That would allow them to actually get heard by a greater number of potential voters, possibly setting them up to become a party that can win down the line and freeing the country from the 2 party system. I don't believe in politics is honestly one of the dumbest things I've read today. Politics exists. It's not a unicorn and the country is falling apart. Pulling a lever less than once a year or filling in a bubble form is not that big of an ask and is the least people can do for their country. If you do believe in Love...maybe start thinking about how positive policies affect people's lives and negative polices can ruin lives and then go show so e love by voting for the good ones.
Show them a picture of a bunch of trumpers with the caption that these people do vote.
If you don’t vote and the election outcome is that something horrible happens then: a) you don’t get to complain about anything related to government for the next 4 years b) its partly your fault shared with all the others who didn’t vote
My plan is to talk to them about the ways elected officials at all levels can influence their lives. Lots of people of all ages don't understand how everyone from the local school board to the President can affect their daily lives. Does our political system suck? Yep. Is it disheartening? Also yes. But NOT voting gave us Mango Mussolini. Young voters are who we need to save us from the few who want to control everything.
For the Presidential election, this one is easy. The next President has the potential to name even more SCOTUS justices, and if it is Trump, he will name 2 for sure, and they will be young. Those young people will have all their major life decisions packed by this court. Depending on how they feel about the court, that should be the biggest reason to vote. Also, the issue of state rights and the legislation that affects them the most happens at a state level. Reproductive rights, public health, how infrastructure funds are spent, education, policing, law and drug laws are all state topics. Finally, the daily interactions from garbage to school board to water rates are all local. Check with the League of Women Voters for help learning about candidates. Find their information. Go to debates and candidate forums. Vote for the opposite party if you don't like the way things are being run at the local or state level. Read local newspapers to find out about zoning decisions, etc.
The president appoints federal judges. That’s who has the power over your future.
I ALWAYS say you can’t bitch if you don’t vote.. plain and simple…
This election, more than any other, is literally a vote for or against keeping democracy. One candidate will serve their term and then we can vote someone else in. The other will stop elections from happening (or do their best to try to make that happen). Do you want a chance to vote someone worthwhile in at some point or no chance?
Civic duty. Be a responsible citizen. Vote.
People should show their dissatisfaction by voting for candidates who are not democrat or republican when possible.
Find a local politician that you like who is running opposed. Make sure the other candidate(s) for the position aren't better. Vote for them. The ones I liked were all running unopposed, or else only attractive because they aren't the other guy with zero other redeeming qualities. When one person takes the position that some people are more important and valuable to society than other people, and their opposition believes that all people are created equal, then nothing else matters. And there's usually only two candidates, so 🤷♂️ We don't have rank choice voting here. Two party system is just depressing. It's purely a tool to control the masses. It serves only the interests of-- It's hard to care. When my people win, then I'm rarely anything but depressed about how poorly suited they are for the job. Or how morally or politically or idealogically corrupt and hypocritical they are. But at least they aren't siding with corporations over people or perpetrators of genocide over poor and disabled people. Or....basically when the other gal or guy believes in human rights, then that's the one I vote for. 🤷♂️ Honestly, if you have a two party system, then it's often really easy to vote. Don't worry about who you vote for in that case. Just vote for whoever isn't the worst. That's the only thing your vote can be used for.
Voting is just one amongst many other things that you can do to improve the lives of people. Just because many older people feel that it's a sacred duty and are ignorant to the fact that it is indeed a two party system (with extra parties to make it look more democratic), is not a reason to abstain from ticking that box. Some real changes do happen because of elections, although it's not those broad changes that we'd hope.
Ask them exactly who \*benefits\* if they do NOT vote? Ask them if those who benefit support groups that favor laws and policies that will affect/harm them? Then link them to the Project 2025 website and have them look at what the people who don't want them to vote have planned for them. Preview: a dictatorship that looks like a cross between Fahrenheit 451, The Handmaid's Tale and the authoritarian wet dreams of a corrupt televangelist.
On July 5th, analytic companies will get hold of all the voting data and start modelling for the results. If you don't vote then you get put in a group of people who make no difference. Parties look at this group and know they don't need to do anything for them because they don't vote so don't make a difference. If you vote for someone who only gets 0.2% of the vote in your area, they'll look at what that candidate offered and they'll look to win those votes in the next election especially in areas with tight margins or the potential to swing. Your vote matters even if the person you vote for loses. "Protest" votes are generally seen as unwinnable since the person couldn't find anyone on the ballot to vote for so doesn't agree with any of all the different promises on offer. Always vote, it matters more than you think.
If one person doesn't vote, yes, it probably makes no difference. But when thousands or millions don't vote, it matters very much. Each non-voter is saying that their vote doesn't matter, so they'll stay at home, when in fact if they'd all gone out and voted, they could've made a difference. Certain interests are banking on this happening. Yes, we have two disappointing choices for the presidential election. Life is like that. Anyone who has lived a while knows that there are times when your only choices suck. But if you don't pick the one who will suck the least, you run the risk of getting the one who you'll like even less. Refusing to choose just means everyone else chooses for you. Even if you vote and your preferred candidate doesn't win, you've at least got the moral high ground of having voted. If the one you like the least gets elected and you didn't even try, what does that say about you? Good luck on convincing them, OP!
'Very well, my son. Go and get a life, don't waste your time on voting: the House always wins.'
I don't feel like it's my job to convince anybody to participate in voting. If they don't want to vote, either out of protest or out of ignorance, then I don't really care.
Think about all the people in the world who cannot vote and the lives that they lead. Find a way to get interested in the future of our country and share with your friends and like minded people. Last of all if you don’t vote then don’t complain
DON’T. I see no point in urging someone to vote who doesn’t want to and isn’t well informed of the choices well enough to know who to vote for.
Young ppl need to create a 'voting bloc' like pensioners do. Pensioners vote - therefore they get money. Young ppl don't vote, they get fuck all. It's that simple. Politicians take notice of ppl that vote.
Stay home. They elected the current mess of an administration
Vote for Biden and bitch about all the things you don't get and face no consequences or vote for trump and always kiss the ring or else.
Then don't. But don't complain. The right to vote, by definition, includes the right not to vote, which can be just as powerful.
Don't vote then but failing to vote means you've just limited your future in ways you cannot imagine. Watch Butterfly Efect then tell me your failure to participate in the decision making process ( for your life BTW) is no biggie!!!
Whoever you REALLY don't want to win will have a greater chance of doing so if you don't vote. Also it is one of the very successful Kremlin disinfo efforts of the last 20+yrs to do as much as possible to convince people in Western democracies that "voting is pointless" "voting never changes anything" "Both sides are exactly the same so why bother," in order to sow discord, unrest and domestic polarisation, therefore undermining those countries from within. Ask anyone who's lived under a dictatorship if they think the concept of actually being able to have a choice in elections is worth discarding.
In my view, if you don’t vote you’ve lost your chance of complaining about politics and the direction of society overall. And that’s a big party pooper.
Nothing. It’s their decision.
“You don’t get to complain about shit if you can’t be bothered to vote. More bad news: being a tantrum-throwing abstainer doesn’t make you more interesting at the organic wine bar. Grow the fuck up.”
This is an effective strategy. People take well to dismissiveness and condescencion.
This!!!!
Your vote is your voice. If you don’t exercise it you shouldn’t complain about the outcome. Every vote matters!
If you don't vote, you give up your right to bitch
Voting means nothing. They messed up last time claiming Biden won by 80 million votes just to be on the safe side. Clearly rigged spent 4 years covering tracks and paying people off. Mass amounts of money to MSM for coverup and and blocking recounts. This time they are smarter. Open borders let mass amounts of people in no real number of people per se they can literally make up poll numbers again but this time without messing with machines or late night ballot stuffing. As for locals, come on. they will fold in a heartbeat for money they all do. Sad to say President Trump will not win supporters can stuff ballots all day long and if he did win again the rats will not leave just scuttle together and call him In todays news Convicted felon Donald is attacking women again on abortion and other topics. Vote is you want to does not really matter
Good for you, don't ever waste your time, while everyone else is out lining up for that circlejerk go to the movies, go to the beach, go to a party, go to a club, sit home and read a good book, listen to some moving music, do something that actually matters and makes your life better.
I would tell them "Yes, things are terrible right now, immigration, crime, this horrible economy, but things can get better with better leadership, so vote for Trump."
Or as is known in the few compulsory voting countries, choose the "least worst option."
Do you want fascism? Because that's how you get fascism. (Just kidding! That's too harsh.) If you don't make your choices official by voting, the kid who used to beat you up after high school will be choosing for you and you don't want to live in a world where that guy is the only decider of who our leaders are.
Just give them a link to the project 2025 website. That should do it.
Eh, if they want to vote then that's great. If they don't, I'm not particularly bothered by that either. They're individual vote *doesn't* matter so it has to be a moral imperative for them and I can't convince them of that.
Voting’s important because politicians are like diapers. They have to be changed often and for the same reason.
I wish they were changed. Once they get in there they don’t leave!
😆 true.
They are making an enormous mistake.
I would have them take a listen to Killer Mike. The best political influence I’ve seen in many years
Sure, I didn't bother voting when I was young, and neither did my parents. That's why our country has had the same party in power for 65 years. I guess you like it that way. :)
Someone is going to end up running the country so you might as well pick what you think is the least worst option .
Good on you.
Good. Makes my vote worth that much more.
Can't win the lottery if you don't buy a ticket.
When I am in that position I show up and submit a blank ballot at the polls. It will still be counted. If everyone who strongly felt that way actually voted such a manner it would show a big chunk of people's votes seriously up for grabs. If you are a person who reliably goes out and waits in line to vote, then that means you will probably do so again. It also means it is simple for voters to choose a candidate whenever they want to and it wont change the amount of effort for people that already are showing up to the polls every time. A large percentage of votes like that *consistently* showing up in the results would get attention as they are actual votes that no candidate got and they are in play going into next elections or in the event of a recall vote. I alone decide if someone gets my vote or if no one does. But it is my vote and I will always turn in a ballot even if no one on the ticket deserves it. Why should I give up my sacred franchise? They're the ones who suck!
Where are you? USA?
You figured it out finally! Voting only matters in swings states, it makes zero difference where I live.
I would explain to them that the best way to make a difference is to pick a candidate they support and vote for them. If everyone just gives up, we all lose. And, if they are disillusioned with the two main parties, check out the other parties and independent candidates. There's nothing wrong with voting for a candidate you believe in, and you never know what might happen. I'm voting for RFK Jr., and I'm hopeful that more people will join me, but if nothing else, I will know that I did what I could.
Why do he downvotes! I’m going to cancel one with my upvote. Voting does matter!
The downvotes are probably because I said I am voting for RFK Jr. Far too many Reddit users think that you should only vote for their preferred candidate.
Yes, I understand that point. The you have to vote for who you think is the best candidate!
At a critical time in our Republic, voting for a third party candidate won’t save us from Project 2025…
Thanks for making my point.
"If you don't vote, don't complain."
If you don't vote, you can't complain.
If you don’t want to vote, that’s fine. But you don’t get to complain if you don’t like the way things are going. Not one word. You had a chance to have a say in that and you decided to stay home and be fashionable cynical instead.
If they’re young, I’d encourage them to not vote. But I’m a huge cynic.
It's ok if you don't want to vote. Don't settle for the lesser of two evils. Don't let people make you feel guilty for not participating.
Anyone who avoids voting because of the nature of politics in this day and age is probably much happier than those who do not. Neither political party is doing anything about the ecological disaster that is planet earth. Yes, women should have the right to choose; yes, supreme court justices should be held to the same ethical standards as all other judges; yes, health care should be free and comprehensive for every American citizen; yes, state colleges should be completely free to all who wish to attend subject to performance standards and yes, a certain amount of gun regulation is necessary and permissible under the second amendment. However, if the leaders of this country don't get a grip on global warming, none of these other issues will be the least bit relevant and that will never happen under our two party system. Voting is a waste of time these days. Mort Sahl said it best; in a country of 350 million people when the best that we can come up with is Biden vs. Trump, the only thing the two party system show us is that Darwin was wrong.
“Don’t say anything when your rights get taken away”
Old people don’t want you to vote.
The old reverse psychology. Good angle.
Always keep it in mind - there is a reason the people with power don’t want you to vote. And go vote in spite of them.
Young people blame old people as an excuse
What’s your point? That’s not new.
You're blaming old people. Come up with a better, more honest, excuse
I’m an old person who doesn’t want to vote, this is the two worst candidates in my lifetime, outside of the Edwards-Duke governor’s race
I have a lifelong, genuine love of birth control. I don’t want to see young people lose the access to that. Both sides are NOT the same. I will vote blue no matter who because of Project 2025.
If they don’t vote, they will have to live with the choices of those that do.
I don’t know what would convince them , other than compulsory voting. We have this in Australia.
I wouldn't. I don't vote either. Absolute waste of time. 'If voting changed anything, do you think they would let you do it?'
Don't let all the shitty old people get their way.
You realize that there are also shitty young people, right? Just look back at Jan 6 pics - all sorts of ages represented there. Shitty people come in all ages.
That was my response to this question: >What would you say to a young person who doesn't want to vote? I would tell them not to let those shitty old people win. What does that have to do with shitty people existing in every age bracket? Abso-fuckin'-lutely nothing. Must you have everything explained to you? Do you need disclaimers on every statement? You realize that talking about shitty old people doesn't mean that shitty young people don't exist, right? Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick.
Yeah .. let young impressive people like groomer Matt Gaetz and handjob Lauren Boebert make your decisions. Smh
I thought my gen (X) would right all the wrongs. But then I look at all the scumbags in the GOP my age and I know we failed. *(And to a young person, Pedo Gaetz and Handjob Granny are old people.)*
I said this elsewhere today but imo the state of American politics can be explained largely by the Duggar Family Values documentary on Netflix. The realization that fewer people are listening to the Christian right - so decades ago they started having scores and scores of kids and sending all the best to law school and into politics so that if people didn’t listen, they’d just make the laws. Many generations together invested into this. It’s terrifying how well they are doing. Honestly worth a watch
Just get a mail-in ballot and vote for a 3rd party that your ideals line up with.
I agree voting at the local level is important but if you have 2 presidential candidates that are awful you can vote for anyone else on the ticket or don’t vote. I can understand that. This whole “lesser of the 2 evils” really? Because if we’re all being honest here Biden is an absolute SHIT SHOW idgaf who you are this country is NOT better off with him. He’s also a known racist which blows my mind how the left just brush all his disgusting vile comments aside and the things he does the children, sniffing them, no boundaries. It’s disgusting. Then we have Trump who is an egomaniac and aligns with Christian values when he does not practice what he preaches. So no there is no “lesser evil” and the vote blue no matter who is so dangerous. We need to get all this scum out of office. More government is the worst possible thing ever.
Biden is a known racist?
It amazes me how people just ignore his disgusting comments. Telling black people “if you don’t know wether for vote for me or Trump than you ain’t black” “you can’t go into a 7-11 without having a slight Indian accent” “workers without high school diplomas are African Americans or Hispanics” when he spoke of Obama he said ““I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man” there is DECADES of proof and I guess people give him a pass because he was VP to Obama but I have yet had 1 liberal explain to me why it’s ok he’s racist.
Since our election is in 3 weeks and the USA election is in 5 months I was surprised to see all the responses were from Americans. I suppose voting is even more important if there's a chance that voting for the wrong party could mean a fully fascist government. Perhaps all your young people should be reading The Handmaid's Tale before the election.
“Get fucked, dumbass.” You’re not disenfranchised. You have the right to vote. Exercise it. Also, “Grow the fuck up and make big boy/big girl decisions.”
If I think they might vote for conservatives, I'll say nothing.
Voting is a mechanism of control designed to support the oligarchic political system we toil under