Yes, I get it; the top 2 candidates for president are so awful, that you don’t want to vote for either of them. But no matter who you are, if you are able to vote, there IS a reason to. No excuse is good enough, especially when you always have time for facebook or twitter.
Parents
If you are a parent, you should definitely vote. Some of you are thinking “I am too busy to vote, and it doesn’t matter since nothing ever changes.” Well, if you don’t like either candidate, you can still HELP YOUR OWN KIDS by voting for a 3rd party. If enough people vote for the 3d parties, they will gain recognition and become a part of our presidential debates. Eventually, this will lead to a future voting system for your kids, where they will have more than 2 legitimate choices. If you decide to sit at home instead of helping, you help the establishment that doesn’t want this.
Non-parents
More people are choosing voluntary childlessness these days. But just because you will (hopefully) be gone before climate change destroys the planet, that doesn’t mean you don’t have a reason to vote. There are some important decisions being made all over the country. They are about to legalize recreational weed in California, which will have impact across the world, not just the USA. There are campaign finance reforms going throughout the country that will make your vote even more important in just a few years.
Liberal people
Most of the country is actually liberal and they just don’t realize it. Historically, the conservative candidates for an election tend to win when voter turnout is low. A simple Google search will reveal plenty of studied evidence, if you don’t believe me. People who ignore voting because they are mad at the presidential candidates are forgetting there are MANY DOWN-BALLOT RACES to vote for as well, and in some cases these down-ballot votes are more important than the presidential election, since the president is mainly a figurehead at the top of a political machine.
Employed people
If you are a worker, it’s pretty important that you vote. If voter turnout was low enough in 2008 to get Romney elected, we would be even further away from finally getting a government that works for us- universal healthcare, fighting climate change, etc. Sure, the current “liberals” that are in power are actually Neo-liberals who don’t care about the 99%, but our leadership will become more progressive as the younger, more-informed generations enter politics. This can only work if you show up for them.
Unemployed people
If you are struggling to get a job, you should show up for the candidates that will do something to help you. Clinton & Trump don’t give a crap about you, but there are congressional candidates that will vote on important things like trade deals, which will directly impact your ability to get a job in this country. If you ignore all the candidates because it’s a little tedious to participate, you are doing yourself a disservice.
Poor people
Deny it if you want to, but 50% of this country is now technically poor. In case you didn’t notice, political power tends to gravitate toward rich people and companies that can donate to campaigns, so the ONLY tool that a poor person has to provide feedback is their vote. If you are poor, and throwing away your right to vote, you are working against yourself.
Rich people
Rich people probably need to vote the least, since their desires tend to match up with the corporations that own politics through lobbying. However, there are some important aspects to consider if you are one of those privileged few that don’t have to worry about daily life. Our current trajectory, in terms of foreign and domestic policy, is leading us toward increasing levels of wealth inequality. This will lead to even larger masses of people with nothing, and nothing to lose. When people start, in large numbers, competing for basic resources like food and water, you rich people have something to worry about. Unless you are very confident that you can escape the general society when the poor start rioting, I’d suggest you invest a little bit in the stability of the civilization.
In other words, you should only stay home if you fit into the following categories:
- You don’t care about the future (or the present)
- You don’t want anything to change, and you are rich, and you have potential access to a new planet
Voting is one very uncommon time when you are asked to care about something more than yourself. If you aren’t even trying, you have no cause to complain when the society ignores you.