Why is it you don't want to vote?

Many people are refusing to vote at all ever because of various reasons, one being my mother, who raised me to believe that voting is a civic duty and I'm completely disillusioned by this. I think her reasoning was the Bush/Gore debacle in 2000.

I've heard many reasons. One being that it's too much like a high school election and all just a popularity contest, which it is in a way. I've also heard that the smear campaigns are driving people away. Many think that it just doesn't matter I think that one is bunk bc I don't feel that my vote is ever the deciding one, but I do think that by not voting, it's one step closer to giving up your rights as a person.

Anyway, why don't you go out and vote in the US elections?

*side note* I know that if your under 18 you can't or live in another country, but it would be great to hear why you would not vote even if you could. Please give us you input!


**I have to go to work now, so I hope to hear some really good answers when I get back!

I'm not going because a bus route does not go where I need to go vote and I'm not spending $20 on cab fare to vote! Normally I do vote however.

That is a very good reason!

You couldn't request an absentee ballot?

I actually thought the voting for my area was down the street from me for some reason, but found out today that it's not.

That. And I"m not registered at my new address either. WI you can do it same day, so was planning on doing it today, but not now.

Would this have been your first time (!), or did you recently re-locate? -- Wait a minute, you moved to a new place.... and you have only now learned where the polling place is!

WEll I never know until voting day Oh well. In WI the same people get elected in all the times anyways. Doesn't really make a difference.

I'm not because right or wrong, I'm largely unconcerned with the world at large. I certainly have no desire to influence it. I'm very "what will be will be", and I'll go on living my life as I please. I will adapt to whatever little changes may occur from a new official, and should I ever be unable to adapt, I'll leave.

I simply don't care about who's in office.

I've had that sort of opportunity twice in my life, and did just that. This time around, I don't have that luxury.

It would have to be an extremely negative change to drive me to that anyway.

Took the words right out of my mouth. And I left.

Well, maybe I'm more politically sensitive than some....

Luckily, I was able to adapt, linguistically, but... I never did have the right to vote in local elections, while I was away. And the US Embassy never did provide any sort of absentee ballots, but they managed to be there when it was decided that I should file a US Tax Return,... the bastards! Even though, at the time, there was an $80,000 threshhold on that requirement.

If you get fed up and move away why would you want to still vote in local elections. You are not a resident anymore, even if you still have your citizenship. Its not like being stationed away in the military or on vacation. That just doesn't make sense to me.

Either you suck it up and vote (or not) and deal with what ever administration is here (or vote them out next time), or you go away, and forget about it. Maybe I just misunderstand what you mean by getting fed up and leaving.

That being said, I voted. I almost didn't, I'm really frustrated by the whole process this year. and the local races are really ugly and dirty this year. My only reason for not voting would have boiled down to "laziness". Yes, its inconvenient, but meh most things in life are.

I live overseas and I voted absentee. I wish I could have voted in person today and think its a shame that people don't. I could have voted in AZ which was my last state of residence but I decided to vote in NM because that is my true home state and I care about what happens there.