Civic duty? or waste of time?

Question

Is voting really worth it? Especially at the federal level? Honestly, none of the front-runners likely to get the nomination impress me at all. Why should I vote for what I feel is the lesser of two evils?

Answer 1

It is a way of honoring our way of life by using your vote to voice to the country who you feel is the best candidate.  Sure their are times when they both candidates suck, but there are countries who have gone to war over the right to be able to cast that vote.

In response to your follow up, the regularly "non-voting public" can absolutely effect the outcome of the election.  If you remember back in 1992, Bill Clinton targeted the "MTV" generation (who usually don't vote) and they are credited for winning him the election.  Every vote counts.

Answer 2

Too many people have fought and died for our right to vote - you MUST exercise it - I have voted in every election I was allowed to since I was 18 - federal, but especially, the local elections, since they directly impact my daily life.  If you don't vote - you really don't have the right to complain.  The problem is everyone says their vote isn't important, but if all those people would get off their a**** and vote, they may very well see a difference.

Answer 3

You know, I was in charge of major voter registration and Get Out the Vote (GOTV) operations in 2004 & 2006, and have heard this question more times than I can count.  Let me first say, I completely understand where this argument comes from, and I am, to an extent, torn by the same feelings.

Let me say this, but only for an explanation of how I came to be colored by this sentiment - not to promote any party or ideology.  In 2004, I worked for the largest PAC in the nation, in what was then the largest city in the third most contested battleground state.  One of the three debates was held two miles from my home.  I was in charge of a program aimed at regestering youth and low-income voters.  I worked 80-90 hours a week trying to convince people (regardless of their party) that voting was in their best interests.  In 2006, I was a field director with another of the largest GOTV programs in the country.  This was specifically focused on getting Democratic voters involved in shifting the balance of power in Congress.  Again, I am not inserting an endorsement of party in here, but tryig to make this point...  The campaign made over six million phone calls in six weeks, and I can't tell you how many people I spoke with.  Many of these were voters that were disillusioned by what they had seen in 2004, and many who had no intention of becoming involved again.  I spent 100+ hours a week in a tiny office, repeatedly stating that this was the chance to make a change.  That people like us were angry, that voting was the option that was there for the taking, and that if we could turn people out we could make a change.  And we did.  The Democrats swept the 2006 elections, and then...  Well, not much happened.  I, and many others like me, had devoted every moment of our lives to seeing that people knew that this was an opportunity to make a change, and once the vote was counted and the champagne corks were popped, the status quo persisted.  I may be many things, but a liar I am not, and that is what I became.  I gave my word to people that participating in democracy was a duty, but the absolute complacency of those who vowed to fight cost me my credibility, if only in my own eyes.

Again, I state this not as an endorsement of the left, or a condemnation of the right.  I say this because I am a political being, and I have been left in a place where I no longer feel  that I can argue completely for the electoral process.  It is no secret that the voting machines are flawed (at best) or completely rigged (at worst).  That the field of candidates has, for the most part, reduced the expected election cycle platitudes to a level of abmbiguously cartoonish abstraction that I never thought was possible.  That the media (demonstrated on both sides by Kucinich, Gravel, Paul and Hunter) has adopted the heavy responsibility of deciding which candidates are "viable" by restricting their time in, or outright barring them from, nationally televised debates.  This list goes on and on...

But, I would have to ask you...what exactly is voting "worth" or not?  In spite of all knowledge that the election process is full of sh*t, and that the vote is probably rigged anyway, I still encourage people to vote.  I can understand if there isn't a "viable" presidential candidate that you support, but there is a mistake made when only viewing elections as presidential.  There are a myriad of other races on the ticket, and it is there that the difference can be made.  Local and State races effect you every day, and who you vote into Congress not only does the same, but it sets in place the future presidential aspirants (i.e. Obama).  But, there just may be a candidate that you support, all be it unknowingly.  Ignore the debates, commercials, slanted interviews and empty promises.  Look at their records.  I have posted the websites for both Congressional branches, as well as the Library of Congress below.  You can view each candidate's page, and exactly how they have voted.  This is where everyone should spend even a bit of time when deciding who to support.  In the end, we all know that there is a chance that when we walk into our polling location, an "irregularity" will arise that could disqualify our vote.  Okay, but why stop?  Why let whatever crooked machination that tries to silence you silence you?  It's hard to fix an election when people do not lie down quietly.

I guess what I am saying is that I do understand why one would not want to vote.  But, I ask that you seek out information that may give you an option that you might not know that you have.  Most of all, do not let those with the power to rob you of your most fundamentally endowed liberty do so through the dissemination of misinformation and basic physical and/or intellectual thuggery.

Good luck to you.

Answer 4

Voting is a way to express your feelings about the way the country is run by the politicians - whether your candidate wins or not. Not voting turns you into a mime - and we all know how annoying they are.  If only a few thousand (out of millions) had voted in the federal elections 4 years ago, we might not be at war now. Even if you don't vote on the national level, you may want to be able to have your input on how you are taxed locally - transit, school, library, fire, sewer, emergency services taxes - perhaps even sales taxes, if you have them. In our county we had an election that was decided by a coin toss. After all the recounts, it was still a tie. So your vote would have made the difference.

Answer 5

Voting is a civic duty if you wish to view it completely. In order to view it completely you need to be fully aware of the US  Constitution as well as the Bill of Rights. You need to fully read and understand them. By casting your vote, you are actually attempting to voice your opinion on issues, or candidates. Remain silent, and you end up with corruption like we have today.

I do not mean corruption from just on party, but all parties, and all levels of government.

From what I read of your question and responses to some answers already, you are missing out on the understanding portion of the statement. I have provided a link for each document if you are interested.