How do you feel about those who do not register to vote?

If you don’t vote, don’t bitch about how things work out.

Disgusted.

It kills me. It’s like they’re wasting a huge opportunity.

Just re-read what @Adirondackwannabe said. That’s where I am.

It also makes me wonder what would be different in our government if everyone who was eligible to vote actually registered and voted.

Eh… I think the most important thing is being educated about the politicians and contemporary issues. I think no less of people who are not registered/don’t vote than those who do but are uneducated about what/who they’re voting for.

I think it is both ignorant and arrogant to not vote. Should not have the same rights as people that do vote.

Nothing else to add. People who don’t register completely miss the fact that that act is one of the things that make our country so great. People have died fighting for the right to vote.

About the same as I feel about people who think voting every two or four years constitutes democracy.

I think if you don’t take an interest in politics and know nothing about the candidates, I am glad you don’t vote. But, I know people who in my opinion should vote. They are smart, do pay attention to politics, understand the impact politics and government have on society, and still don’t vote, I find that dissappointing.

I also think not voting is a signal their lives are pretty much ok. People come out in big numbers to vote usually when they are really disatisfied with what is going on currently. America probably has a significant amount of apathy towards voting for a few reasons. One, we are pretty damn lucky as a country, for many years we have been relatively stable economically, and the rights of citizens. Another, is we simply take our right to vote for granted.

@JLeslie Bread and circuses?

I’ve heard people say that those that vote shouldn’t bitch about how things turn out because they were the ones who voted them it.

I also saw an activist with this t-shirt: Don’t Vote…it only encourages them.

I can understand the frustration with our current system.

That being said…I haven’t missed a vote at the municipal, provincial or federal level since I turned 18.

I’m going to be honest that most people I know who haven’t registered (at least among my friends) don’t really know much about politics or follow it and would probably vote based on trendiness or one issue or what their parents say. In that case, I don’t really care that they don’t vote.

@tranquilsea Wasn’t that a George Carlin line?

I have to admit, I don’t do electoral politics beyond my town. I vote for issues and such.

@incendiary_dan It may have been. The statement sums up the frustration of voting.

That they have no right to complain about politics.

@tranquilsea There’s something to that, I think. By getting people to vote for them, they maintain the image of legitimacy even when they stop actually representing constituants (which for most national politicians is basically immediately).

If you don’t vote, don’t bitch about how things work out. I vote, usually for those who names I don’t know, but it doesn’t make much difference; some judge just rides in an nullifies your vote anyhow. Power to the people…..yeah right.

“people who don’t vote don’t have a right to complain” ... Yes they do. They can complain about many things and still make perfectly logical arguments.

When I was born, I never agreed to any rules or laws, I never agreed to be loyal to my country or even claim to be from a country, why should the default be that I am automatically a part of the system from birth?

If you do something wrong, and then say sorry, your apology implies guilt, likewise, voting implies participation and/or approval.

Anyone who complains about my not voting, is simply doing so out of selfish reasons, trying to encourage people to vote is just like going door to door trying to get people to become jehova’s witnesses. Why do you want me to vote? Out of some primitive desire to be in a collective? Out of fear? Out of greed? So that I can give your personal ideology and philosophy some validity and credability by lending my name to it? Do you want to boast to people about how many people voted for your guy, so you can delude your self that if so many people agree, that you must be on the right path?

Create a neutral zone for people to opt out of the system, and then you can say those who don’t vote can’t complain, but until then, “those who don’t vote have no right to complain” is just a fallacious argument by slogan, the remnants of a territorial mind, and a primitive instinct driven culture. “those who don’t vote can’t complain” is just a nice way of saying “lets draw attention away from the fact that you cant opt out and are basically a slave”.

Once upon a time, some greedy fuck put a colored cloth on a stick and stuck it in the ground and claimed that everything was his. Until one day, people got smart and figured out they did not want some asshole telling them what to do all the time. To prevent the loss of power and control, the bullshit vote was invented, and now we get to pick our boss. While 99% of you are out there voting, saying “gee, isn’t it great that we get to pick out boss now?”, the other 1% are saying “hey, wtf happened to the get rid of bosses plan?!”.

These assholes you are giving authority to, don’t give a shit about you, they never have and never will. The more we can get people to stop voting, the more we can question on what basis these assholes claim to have any authority, the more we can demand and get. Also, lets not forget, that the only real authority they have is resorting to violence. If you refuse to collaborate with the powers to be, their only option is to cave your head in so you will obey.

Voting, is a silly little ritual, it does nothing to help you, and is just a little make believe game, so that we can give some credence to words such as “official, authority, country, patriot, traitor” etc..

If you don’t vote, you are either really lazy or my kind of person.

show me a candidate who is promising to create a neutral zone and ill show you someone worth my vote.

They are exercising their Constitutional right to not vote.

In my country unregistered citizens cannot vote. There are some registered citizens that don’t vote anyway. No consequences so far.

Those who don’t vote, don’t have the right to bitch about the result.

I would agree with @downtide ‘s specific wording.

Meh.

People who don’t vote deserve what they get. Their complaints, however, are worthwhile because it gives the politicians and other voters ideas about what needs to change.

If only people would realize that the right to vote is what makes America better than any other country, and use their power for the good of all, we wouldn’t be in the mess we are now in, because the common person has turned over the control of their country to the rich.

@everyone

Thanks for your pov’s. Just wondering how people who are registered think about us folk who aren’t registered.

The people that don’t vote on some weird philosophical idea like @poisonedantidote deserve what they get. Unfortunately, the neoconservative movement is working to insure people that oppose their principles are discouraged from voting.

Unfortunately most of us don’t deserve the lose the few freedoms that remain in this formerly democratic country. The non-voters simply accelerate the process of this country becoming one run by an oligarchy, very similar to Russia and Mexico.

There will be the rich and educated and the poor and clueless. Basically back the a feudal society of at best, something similar to Dickens time. I for one, will not accept that.

I think it’s wrong to say the neoconservative movement is working towards insuring people who oppose their principles are discouraged from voting. When in the military, we were discouraged to vote by a General that everyone knew was a liberal. I’m not saying that not all neoconservatives are discouraging people from voting but there are liberals that do the same.

I vote only because I don’t want to be laughed at and insulted by my peers. Or people on Fluther. If voting actually changed anything, it wouldn’t even be legal.

I do not like when the people who don’t vote complain about the results. I also don’t like it when people vote with no knowledge of the political parties involved. If you do not know anything about it, why on earth are you voting? Do they just pick whichever name the like the best? People are weird. I find myself agreeing with @poisonedantidote on several points even though he’s weird :P.

@YARNLADY I do not think the right to vote makes “America better than any other country.” That statement makes me wince. There are many countries where people have the right to vote ..not just the U.S. I actually think countries ruled by parliamentary government are better off than those ruled by presidential government. Just my opinion.

@King_Pariah I stayed away from voting and politics during my 12 years in the military because I felt that it was my duty to preserve and defend the Constitution, not a political party. The president was my boss without regard to his political affiliation. The last thing we want is a politicized military.

I joined the Republican party AFTER my military service. I joined the Democratic party when Regan ran. I hated Carter but would have protected him with my life because I took and oath.

I go and vote whenever I feel like. Most times I do not care who’s running the country or what government. I do not care about politics. Sometimes I find things I do not like and I whine a bit but there’s no way to change them even by voting so I usually stop easy.