As the presidential election comes closer and closer everyday, many Americans are asking if they should vote. Though it is estimated that Voter Turnout will be astonishingly high, with Political Scientist of the University of Florida Michael McDonald estimating 156 million voters in 2020, that still leaves millions of people who are not voting. We have an imperfect voting system, and many people find reasons to not vote. Here are reasons not to vote, and why you still should.

My Favorite Can’t Win!

Many of the smaller parties such as the Green Party or the Liberal Party don’t stand a chance in the polls. It might even be that you are a republican in a “blue” state or a democrat in a “red” state. If you like a less popular party’s beliefs most, then it might be seen as acceptable not to vote because they simply can’t win. However, your candidate can not win but at the same time bring your beliefs to attention. Think about it, every vote that the smaller parties get is one that a big party doesn’t. So the leaders of the parties will change their policies to win you back. For example, the Democrats have begun pushing on climate change issues more and more, partially to win Green Party voters, which is very slowly gaining popularity. So if you vote for someone who can’t win, the person who does still may implement the changes you want so that you vote for them again.

My Favorite is Going to Win Anyway!

Sometimes it seems that one party is so dominant, that they are going to win, even if you don’t vote for them. Good for them, you think. They can win and I can just sit back and watch the numbers flow in! Well, what if everyone thought the same as you? That you can just let everybody else do the voting? It might seem impossible that a candidate who was for sure going to win loses because of so many people deciding not to vote, but it has happened. A specifically interesting case of this was when Michael Portillo in the UK had a “safe seat” but because so many people were sure of that and didn’t vote, he actually lost. Aside from that, even if the candidate who you knew was going to win still wins, there is a big difference between a landslide victory and winning by a hair. If your candidate has more votes, they can be more decisive about their decisions, and implement the policies you like. If they barely win, it will be much harder for them to pass the laws you want.

I Don’t Want to Choose Between the Lesser of Two Evils!

This is by far the most popular reason not to vote. You might hate both of them, and believe that they are both evil and do not want to choose which one is less worst. But by not voting, you are essentially saying that they are equally terrible, which is most likely impossible because of all of their vastly different policies. Keep in mind that when voting, you are not just voting for Senators or Presidents, you are also voting for state legislators and a government who will impact your life, whether it be through taxes, health benefits, people who decide how our school systems should be run and how well funded they are. 

The Voting Process is too hard!

This argument is especially important during COVID-19 and the concern of the possible shutting down of the Postal system. While it can seem overwhelming, it is still important to vote because of the reasons listed above. Here is a video that roughly explains how to vote in Colorado as well as resources to help you vote.

There are many reasons not to vote. There will always be people who will not vote. But by choosing not to, you are withdrawing your voice, and your beliefs from our ever changing political landscape. It may not seem like it, but your vote counts. Our election system has flaws, yes, but democracy excels at fixing flaws, and your vote will help our government know what to do during this time of urgency.

Credits

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/06/2020-election-voter-turnout-could-be-record-breaking/591607/

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1999/sep/12/conservatives.uk

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/02/19/knight-nonvoter-study-decoding-2020-election-wild-card-115796