The 2 Real and 9 Dumb Reasons Not to Vote

People give a lot of reasons not to vote. These rationales are for the most part dumb. For those of you who favor less confrontational language, we can call those who weasel out of (sorry, decline to) vote as folks who play with words to avoid owning the fact that they aren’t doing what they know they should be. They are tapping into a collection of deflections (which would be a good name for a band) to justify not helping to heal our democracy.  

Note that I am not saying that people who don’t vote are dumb. That’s not true at all. In fact, I am saying the opposite since I am acknowledging that they are good with words. Rather, I think that many people who don’t vote are lazy or truly think it doesn’t who takes office doesn’t matter. 

Instead of acknowledging that those are the real reasons to not vote, folks come up with reasons they couldn’t vote or even were savvy to not do so. This is what I am calling dumb. It’s especially so since the growth of early and mail voting has in many cases significantly reduced the obstacles they claim is keeping them from voting.

Let’s start with the two reasons people really don’t vote: Laziness and that they don’t care. That will be followed by the nine dodges people use to justify not participating in our democracy.

Keep in mind that according to Pew Research, about 36% of eligible voters didn’t do so two years ago. About 55% didn’t bother in 2022. That means that as superficial as these reasons to vote sound, many people are using them.

I’m lazy

It is quite likely the biggest obstacle is simple laziness. Voting, whether at the polls on election day or during early or mail voting, takes some effort. There is no way to really counter this than to say that voting is important and people should deal with the minor inconvenience or work it requires.

I don’t care

The other underlying reason is that many people don’t care. My response is that people should care even if it only is for selfish reasons. 

What happens in your life and the lives of friends and relatives is impacted by people who run our government–at all levels. Think of student loans, health insurance, public safety and sanitation, how people are treated, how much you pay in taxes and what that money is used for and so forth. All of these things are impacted by who holds office. Have a gay uncle? A trans niece? Undocumented cousins? You better believe they are impacted.

Can anyone say with a straight face that a Kamala Harris presidency would be no different than one headed by Donald Trump? I am not making a value judgement here. I am simply saying that the two realities couldn’t be more different. It’s impossible not to favor one over the other.

Okay. Those are the real reasons. Now here are the dumb deflections:

Bogus: I’m too busy

Yes, voting is for some reason on a Tuesday. People are busy. But, again, there are options that enabling you to vote before Election Day. Indeed, early in-person voting almost always is faster than voting on election day.

Bogus: Voting is dangerous

There is plenty of information out there about potential disruptions in voting. The authorities are hinting that they will send armed personnel to the polls. There are hints that perhaps even less responsible groups, such as the Proud Boys, could show up.

The reality it is far more a distraction and a scare tactic than something that is likely to happen to you. States control elections and they are unlikely to agree to do this. Local police will control unsanctioned vigilante groups.

Bogus: I don’t know where to vote

There are lots of sites that will tell you. Here are two: Vote.org and the U.S. Vote Foundation.

Bogus: I’m concerned about long lines and endless waits

It’s true that there may be some inconvenience. It’s a price we have to pay. There are things you can do to alleviate this: Come prepared. Bring your music. Bring something to read. Come with friends and family. Make friends with the folks behind or in front of you. Bring a small folding chair. Call your circle and remind them to vote.

You’ll be doing something important. Make lemonade out of lemons. (It’s a good idea to check what can be brought into the polling place.)

Bogus: My vote is meaningless

It’s a tricky one, because your single vote or my single vote won’t change who wins an election. But if everybody used that as an excuse to stay away the results of the election could shift. Put it this way: People who don’t vote decide elections as much as people who do. Karma is real, and it’s a good thing to have on your side.

Bogus: I didn’t register

It’s more than three months until the election. You still can register. Indeed, in some states you can register and vote on the same day.

Bogus: I can’t decide who to vote for so I’ll sit it out

There is a lot of information available. Good summaries are available from AI engines such as ChatGPT and Claude.ai. Set aside a few minutes to do some research. If you are really stuck, vote for the party which most reflects your views. It’s not rocket science.

Bogus: I don’t go out in bad weather

Early November is a moderate time of year in most of the U.S. However, take a peek at the five- or ten-day forecast. If something unusually is coming on November 3, hop on down to early voting. 

Bonus excuse: I have no way to get to the polls

In most cases, the political parties will arrange a car to pick you up. 

Most of the usually used reasons not to vote are dodges and deflections. Indeed, some of them may have been real more persuasive before growth of early and mail voting. That was a different time. Many of them simply don’t make sense any longer.

Helpful links include an election Q&A, 10 reasons voting is important, links to Spanish language information and state-by-state voting information.

(Image: Detroit Free Press, Creator: Mandi Wright)