Is it OK not to vote?

You can not vote, but then you have to stay silent for the next four years.

What kind of statement do you think not voting makes?

It’s no one’s business but yours.

@chyna It makes no statement unless he decides to share it.
@zenvelo There are many elections. They are not all for four-year offices. Open your mind. And you never have to stay silent. Not in America.

@Sagacious I think @zenvelo means no one wants to hear you complain if you don’t exercise your right to vote.

@xBRIANx “To me, not voting is a statement.”

You’re wrong. Not voting only sends the message that you are indifferent, lazy, can’t be bothered, and it’s a tacit acceptance of the status quo. If you want to make a statement, vote 3rd party or vote for a write in protest vote. That is going to be more effective in communicating a message.

“Okay” meaning what? It’s an option that you have and your decision to make. Some people will approve of it, some people aren’t going to like it and will criticize you for it. That’s life.

@KNOWITALL I don’t guess what people might mean, especially when there is no ambiguity.

@Sagacious I wasn’t guessing, this is about the 10th question about this in the last six months. No one here appreciates a non-voter in polarized times like these with so much at stake. Across the board, Reps and Dems agree on that one thing. :)

The vote is the statement
No vote says nothing. It makes you irrelevant.

Okay, so this response is highly relevant.
We have our General Election tomorrow & our main two parties are Labour & the Conservatives.
Boris Johnson is our current sitting Prime Minister & all polls show he & the tories (conservatives) will remain in power, possibly with a small majority of MP’s in the House of Commons.
This is largely due to the incompetence of Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn & the growing accusations of anti semitism within his party.
The election has predictably become all about Brexit with Johnson assuring voters he’ll get a deal over the line with the EU while Corbyn favours a second referendum.

It is for that reason alone why I will vote Conservative, first time in my life, because putting the vote back to the British people on whether to stay or leave when 17.4 million already chose to leave, is an absolute disgrace & an assault on democracy as far as I’m concerned.

So yeah, you should vote, regardless of your allegiance, or lack thereof, It’s better to register yourself as a responsible citizen…do it, you’ll feel better!

The only statement not voting makes is “I can’t be bothered”.

You don’t have to vote but don’t bitch about things that happen. Or don’t happen.
If you don’t like any of the choices available, vote for the lesser of evils. Or the best of evils.
But like others have said here, not voting says nothing to anyone.

It’s perfectlty ok not to vote when voting one way or another is voting against your interests. Writing-in a candidate is the same as not voting on those grounds. That’s not being lazy, it’s refusing to participate in something that will have negative consequences regardless. Not voting when one party is against your interests and the other is not is something else entirely.

@ucme If I were in the UK I’d probably vote Conservative or Lib-Dem mostly because as a Jew I could never vote for Corbyn. As an American I don’t have a horse in the arena on Brexit or not. I have heard good arguments on each side—but I agree with you that the British people have already decided, for better or worse and what’s done is done. As an outsider, though, I worry about the Irish border.

@xBRIANx . Welcome to Fluther.

I think I am the only jelly, that doesn’t vote. I do think it makes a statement. I catch constant hell, for it.

For those who opine, that “if you don’t vote, you can’t complain,” or “if don’t vote, you’re lazy,” I say shame on you. You are no different than a person pushing their religion, on another person.
I may not vote, but I don’t attack everyone else, who does.

Since so many jellies, seem fine with attacking our new member, I guess it’s time for me to do the same.

IF YOU’RE VOTING, YOU’RE A PAWN IN A FOOL’S GAME. How can you tell me voting matters, when Hillary won by over 2 million voters, and LOST? I didn’t take the day off that day, just to piss my time away. I made money. So who’s the dummy here? The one’s who lost money, only to cry about Trump, or the ones that paid their bills, instead of being a sheep?...

Vote, or don’t. Be religious, or not. But don’t push YOUR beliefs on others, and sit in judgement, as if your right to vote, gives you the right to judge….

@MrGrimm888 Since so many jellies, seem fine with attacking our new member this is not a new member, he has been here since 2009. Also, no one is attacking anyone. He asked if it was ok to not vote. People gave their opinions on voting/not voting. Why is everyone so freaking touchy on here lately?

@MrGrimm888 Once again you lose me and your words are just blah blah blah !

Whine Whine Whine “It is all just a lie” your vote does not count because the powers to be have the the whole thing rigged. The vote is predetermined.

Don’t vote. But look around later and know you helped create a nightmare.

@MrGrimm888 “IF YOU’RE VOTING, YOU’RE A PAWN IN A FOOL’S GAME. How can you tell me voting matters, when Hillary won by over 2 million voters, and LOST? I didn’t take the day off that day, just to piss my time away.”

The classic mistake of thinking that the presidential vote is the only vote there. Every election, from the White House down to your alderman, has an effect on your life whether you “play the game” or not.

You have a right to vote. That is not the same as a demand to vote. Rights and responsibilities go hand in hand. Part of what makes our nation great is that the people have a voice in things. That voice is through the election process. You get a say in who is elected (or not) based on their qualities and their positions. The responsibility of voting is that you do so willingly and knowledgeably. But if you don’t believe the voting process means anything, if you don’t know who to vote for and don’t want to just randomly cast votes for people you don’t know, or if you just plain don’t want to vote, that is your right as well. Some people may give you grief over it. That is their problem, not yours. They will tell you that if you don’t vote you can’t complain later. Many of those people will tell you not to complain if the person you didn’t like was elected even if you did vote. Your voting is your business, in the end. @MrGrimm888 has stated many times he doesn’t vote. It really isn’t anyone else’s business but he has the courage to state it and defend his choice despite catching shit for it on occasion. Not voting does not invalidate his opinions, though.

Correct. If it were black and white, I would be wrong. But, it isn’t. The uber wealthy, are who actually control the voting process. So. In that premix, voters are simply legitimately backing a candidate, whom has the most support of a certain agenda.
That’s not a democracy….THINK.

There are plenty of other ways to effect political change, other than voting.
Just look at Lee Harvey Oswald.

If you don’t vote you have no right to bitch about the way things are.

I am sure that voters in North Korea would agree with you.

There’s a problem with declining to vote, no matter what your reasons might be: The more radical citizens will always vote. If you don’t vote, that’s more power to them.

Well, it’s not illegal.

Yes. Fuck what anyone else thinks.

Fight the power!

@MrGrimm888 You have yet to show us how the Koch brothers . . . etc stuff the ballot box as you say they do.

I don’t need to show you anything. I’ve worked in executive protection. Body guard. The rich, run shit. They do whatever they want to. I KNOW them. They get away with all kinds of things.
I have worked for several millionaires. They’re mostly terrible people. I wager, that billionaires, are at least as bad…

@MrGrimm888 You make it sound as though all politicians are at fault. Blame the true sinners: The rich Republicans.

Ballot box @MrGrimm888 not body guard !
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.
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How do they STUFF the ballots in the box?

I respect your response. I don’t agree with them.

@Tropical_Willie . I wish I had your integrity. As a body guard, you have to be selective, about your ethics. Or you don’t have a job…..Bills have to be paid….

Okay don’t understand “stuffed ballot boxes” and you being a bodyguard. Your ex-bosses didn’t go out and buy 10,000 ballots and put their guy’s name on them.

They did all kinds of illegal things. Nothing would surprise me.
The wealthy control everything. And they do whatever suits them…

@chyna, @Sagacious, @KNOWITALL, @ josie, @ucme, @Darth_Algar, @Dutchess_lll, @kritiper, @seawulf575, @RabidWolf, @ARE_you_kidding_me, @longgone and @Tropical_Willie… thank you all for your feedback.

Yes, I do believe that not voting is a statement. It doesn’t mean one is lazy, irrelevant, can’t be bothered, etc as some of you have written. Remember that voters dissent all the time. And for good reason. It’s an expression. If you vote, aren’t you participating? If you participate, aren’t you condoning or endorsing the process, and subsequently, what your elected “representatives” do and say in your name? Thanks again for your feedback. I really need to start checking fluther more often than once a month. By the way, @MrGrimm888 check that, one of two jellies, that don’t vote. @gorillapaws- I do like a good 3rd party write-in vote though :)

A write in, makes a statement too. But. It still validates, the process…

As a side note. It apparently, used to be legal to bribe people to vote. My father told me stories about his father coming home, with pockets full of cash, around election time. People would give him money, and say “vote for this guy.”

I’m still curious as to how those folks you worked for stuffed ballot boxes. You didn’t really address that beyond vague “they do whatever they want to” and “it wouldn’t surprise me” statements.

^Well. Once you see what they get away with, it’s not a stretch to see them getting away with anything.

I can’t articulate it, better than that. Sorry. You just kinda had to be there…
I never perceived the privilege, until I observed it…

How to stuff a ballot box? Easy. Just do it like the GDR, just make up numbers and present those as the “result”.

Trump, will NOT be removed. Regardless of evidence. The only results, may be seen in voting for the ones who vote for, or against removal. And I have little faith, that that will even matter….

The DEMs, so far, have exposed facts that won’t matter to anyone pre-impeachment…

@MrGrimm888

Doesn’t at all address the question, but okay…

Well.. I’m missing the point you are trying to get out….

When you say the rich control the votes and people ask you how, “I was a bodyguard” does not make a compelling argument.

I have tried to explain. Being in the mix, with the wealthy, gave me a unique perspective, of how they operate.
They live in a different world, with different rules, than ordinary people…

Which, again, doesn’t address the pertinent question. But this is becoming rather circular.

Well. If you are incapable, of seeing the analogy, maybe you should back out. Instead of just casting aspersions….

You clearly, have nothing to contribute…

[Mod says] Please take the side discussion about wealthy people to chat or PM. Thanks.

@Darth_Algar and @MrGrimm888 leave… queue cricket chirping noise