Reason(s) "I" don't or won't vote:

[AKA2D '91]

I know we've heard countless excuses why our family members, co-workers, or friends will not or have not voted. What are some of the excuses you've heard over the years?

[ChanelLover]

There is a girl in one of my classes that said she just didn't know anything about any of the candidates. I told her to go on the internet and research the candidates. IMO there is no reason not to vote. It seems like the same ones who don't vote are always the people who are complaining.:)

[AKA2D '91]

I've heard people say their precinct changed, etc. and become frustrated when having to locate their correct area. In this PK society, I am sure there have been changes, BUT we've known about this election for weeks. Do not wait until the morning of the election to verify your polling precinct. :rolleyes:

[neosoul]

reasons


I don't wanna get my hair wet
the nearest polling booth is too far
I can't miss my lunch break to go vote


solutions


take an umbrella
polls in VA open at 6am... wake your ass up
polls open in VA at 6am... wake your ass up

[laylo]

The two main reasons I've heard are:

1. (For Presidential elections) The electoral college..."My state is largely democrat/republican so my vote doesn't matter."

2. "No candidate is really looking out for my interests anyway." or the more poetic "Voting is like choosing which bullet I'm getting shot with"- Andre 3000 (he has since changed his mind).

[_Opi_]

Good reason: I'm not a citizen yet.

[aopirose]

The person that I want to vote for isn't going to win so I won't waste my vote.

[AKA2D '91]

reasons



solutions



polls in VA open at 6am... wake your ass up
polls open in VA at 6am... wake your ass up

LMAO
Same time here. I got up an extra 15 minutes early so I could vote before I went to work.

[neosoul]

Good reason: I'm not a citizen yet.

^^ this is my reason... so since I can't vote, I don't support any one vocally

[AKA_Monet]

I still vote in Kollyfornia... ;)

So if I can vote there, then anyone can vote...

[kissy324]

The number one reason I hear>>>> "My vote will not make a difference, so what's the point?"

Ugghhh, that angers me when I hear that! :mad:

[Jill1228]

I have heard that and when the so called person is whining about how the goverment is going I give them a nice cup of STFU!

If you are eligible to vote and don't, then you don't have jack to say!

The first thing I did when I moved to Cali was register to vote at the DMV! I voted this morning after my workout


The number one reason I hear>>>> "My vote will not make a difference, so what's the point?"

Ugghhh, that angers me when I hear that! :mad:

[neosoul]

this girl in my class said she lost her voter registration card, and didn't know what to do... I felt like smacking her...

[TonyB06]

If you are eligible to vote and don't, then you don't have jack to say!

The first thing I did when I moved to Cali was register to vote at the DMV! I voted this morning after my workout

good for you.

I wondered about my good friend AKA2D'91's opening this thread today; wondered if she was engaging in some GC voter suppression. ;) :D

[Jill1228]

I misplaced mine (still unpacking so who knows where it is and still went to the polls. I had my ID ready but didn't need it

this girl in my class said she lost her voter registration card, and didn't know what to do... I felt like smacking her...

[pinkies up]

"I voted last time"
(Ignent a$$ folks...)

[AKA2D '91]

good for you.

I wondered about my good friend AKA2D'91's opening this thread today; wondered if she was engaging in some GC voter suppression. ;) :D

Naw. Not trying to suppress the vote, but I wanted to see what other EXCUSES people hear or had heard regarding why others do not vote.

[MsFoxyLoxy77]

Excuse 1 for not voting: Too sleepy

Me: Shannon wake up its 5:30
My sister: I'm sleepy...
Me: Get up
My sister: Why are you waking me up?
Me: It's November 7th...it's election day we have to go and vote.
My sister: Oh...(yawns and begins to nod off again)
Me: Shannon get up.
My sister: Leave me alone...go vote for both of us.
Me: I'm calling mom if you don't get up...(a few minutes pass Shannon does not get up)
Me speaking with mom: Mom I'm leaving Shannon...the polls are closing in less than an hour and she acts like she's too sleepy to vote.
Mom on loudspeaker: Shannon get up and go vote or else...you know we vote in this family...Now I sent MsFoxyLoxy to go and pick you up...I don't want to hear another word because if you don't vote you don't have a say in your future...(Mom goes into a speech about how black people fought for the right to vote)...Shannon you have a choice are you going to get up and vote?
My sister: I'm up mom...I'm up...you know I was going to vote...I told MsFoxyLoxy77 to just give me a few more minutes of sleep...and she acts like I wasn't going to get up....
We take my car and off to the polls we go. THE END

Excuse 2: Not applying for voter's registration card
Me speaking with a friend of my 18 year old sister...(they're the same age). Me:Jay are you going to vote today?
Jay: I didn't get my voter's registration card yet.
Me: Really how long ago did you apply for it.
Jay: Apply...I didn't know you had to apply for it. I thought they just sent one to you in the mail after you turned 18.
I'm trying not to laugh and mad at the same time.
How many other 18 year olds think "they" are just supposed to send one in the mail. Is this why Florida is a "RED" state?

[mccoyred]

[B]Excuse 2: Not applying for voter's registration card
Me speaking with a friend of my 18 year old sister...(they're the same age). Me:Jay are you going to vote today?
Jay: I didn't get my voter's registration card yet.
Me: Really how long ago did you apply for it.
Jay: Apply...I didn't know you had to apply for it. I thought they just sent one to you in the mail after you turned 18.
I'm trying not to laugh and mad at the same time.
How many other 18 year olds think "they" are just supposed to send one in the mail. Is this why Florida is a "RED" state?


This is funny and sad at the same time. I guess that is why most states enacted Motor Voter laws. I THINK this question is even on your license RENEWAL form, too, right?

[bigburly]

I had a co-worker yesterday tell me that her husband didn't register to vote because he hated to apply everytime he moved. :mad: She said this with some sick sense of pride.:confused: Since she was registered to vote, this nut called her and told her who to vote for. :mad: :mad: :mad: I just shook my head.

[southernelle25]

"There's no black candidate."

[southernelle25]

"There's no black candidate."

Not a problem in November!! Obama '08!! ;):p

[Senusret I]

This is a true story which I probably shouldn't be telling, but I think someone can learn from it.

My friend pursued membership in my APhiA chapter. One of the requirements of membership is proof of voter registration. Among many other concerns, I found out all of two weeks before the application deadline that not only did he not have a voter registration card, but he hadn't voted in over five years.

I laid him out something awful and ultimately decided he wasn't ready for me to sponsor him. He is not an Alpha to this day.

I mean..... how are you going to be voteless, hopeless, and trying to pledge MY frat?

[tld221]

This is a true story which I probably shouldn't be telling, but I think someone can learn from it.

My friend pursued membership in my APhiA chapter. One of the requirements of membership is proof of voter registration. Among many other concerns, I found out all of two weeks before the application deadline that not only did he not have a voter registration card, but he hadn't voted in over five years.

I laid him out something awful and ultimately decided he wasn't ready for me to sponsor him. He is not an Alpha to this day.

I mean..... how are you going to be voteless, hopeless, and trying to pledge MY frat?

that is interesting, having to be a registered voter and all.

[tld221]

ive heard "i dont know how to work the machine."

[rbm]

"Most people in my district are Republicans so my vote won't count anyway." This is sucky but has some logic to it- at least in the general election. Wouldn't matter for me though-I want so much from this country but can't perform a simple duty?

[KAPital PHINUst]

This one came from my former roommate when I was in college:

"Voting is just picking the lesser of two evils"

I tell him: You don't like a particular candidate, write somebody in that you find to be the most qualified. While they may not count the vote in the tally, you get to exercise your civil duty and (possibly) make a statement regarding your selection.

[ComradesTrue]

I get so annoyed at people so lazy as to take a few minutes out of their lives to cast a vote. There is no excuse good enough.

In Nov 2006 my husband and I were living in Nashville. Tennessee had one of the hotest contested senate campaigns that year- Bob Corker and Harold Ford Jr were literally in a dead heat to replace the seat that had been held by Bill Frist. The winner would not only affect our state, but would swing the party balance in the entire Senate.

I hauled my 39 weeks pregnant a$$ self to the polling place at 6:15 am... to wait in line outside for 45 minutes IN THE POURING RAIN. We knew the doors would not open until 7, but we were determined to vote that day, and we had to be at work by 7:30. This was the sacrifice we had to make to have our voices heard.

You do what you gotta do. Enough with the lame excuses.

[DSTCHAOS]

that is interesting, having to be a registered voter and all.

It's a brilliant idea.

This one came from my former roommate when I was in college:

"Voting is just picking the lesser of two evils"

I tell him: You don't like a particular candidate, write somebody in that you find to be the most qualified. While they may not count the vote in the tally, you get to exercise your civil duty and (possibly) make a statement regarding your selection.

I generally feel like all politicans are full of guamguam but I still vote for "the lesser of the evils" instead of writing in Donald Duck or Ralph Nader. I'd rather "give" my vote to the lesser evil than "take" my vote away by voting for someone who has no chance in hell of coming close to winning.

I'm slightly more optimistic with this election but I still don't believe in putting faith in candidates.

[ladygreek]

This is a true story which I probably shouldn't be telling, but I think someone can learn from it.

My friend pursued membership in my APhiA chapter. One of the requirements of membership is proof of voter registration. Among many other concerns, I found out all of two weeks before the application deadline that not only did he not have a voter registration card, but he hadn't voted in over five years.

I laid him out something awful and ultimately decided he wasn't ready for me to sponsor him. He is not an Alpha to this day.

I mean..... how are you going to be voteless, hopeless, and trying to pledge MY frat?
Delta tried this and ran into legal issues. First of all voting is a right a person may or may not excercise. You cannot mandate it. Second of all states such as MN do not issue voting registration cards. Third having a card does not ensure a person will vote anyway.

[mccoyred]

My hairstylist is a Jehovah's Witness. She informed me that they don't vote because if they do, then they are supporting man's government over God. You could have knocked me over with a feather! Especially since she retired from the Army before beginning her second career as a stylist....*shaking my beautifully styled head*

[Senusret I]

Understood. His not voting was reason enough for me to withdraw my support on a personal level.

[KAPital PHINUst]

I generally feel like all politicans are full of guamguam but I still vote for "the lesser of the evils" instead of writing in Donald Duck or Ralph Nader. I'd rather "give" my vote to the lesser evil than "take" my vote away by voting for someone who has no chance in hell of coming close to winning.

Voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil. I will not and will never again vote for evil.

As far as whether or not they have a chance at winning, well contrary to popular belief, I would rather treat my ballot as a ballot than as a lottery ticket or racing form, chances of winning be darned.

[DSTCHAOS]

Voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil. I will not and will never again vote for evil.

As far as whether or not they have a chance at winning, well contrary to popular belief, I would rather treat my ballot as a ballot than as a lottery ticket or racing form, chances of winning be darned.

Your candidate is still an evil. He is just the least influential of the evils. You don't know what this candidate is really doing and will do if in office. I'm an Independent because I believe all of these categories are pointless and none of these candidates should be trusted, regardless of party affiliation. That means that even third party candidates can send this country to hell.

Voting involves a number of bases for rational decisions, including the impact that your vote will have on the election. That doesn't transform it from a ballot to a lottery ticket or racing form.

[jon1856]

The other day I was having a general chat with the lady next door.
Turned to politics.
Long story short, she just can not vote for one of the candidates at all.
However she does not feel as if she knows the other very well.
After talking to her for over 20 minutes on how to find out more about both candidates and pointing out to her now that is is finally down to two, it is a sure thing that they will now be able to shine more; I walked away knowing that the only way she will "learn more" is if the candidates stopped by her living room in person!:(:mad:

[KAPital PHINUst]

Your candidate is still an evil. He is just the least influential of the evils.

Trust and believe, there is NOTHING evil at all about Ron Paul. If he was so evil, why did the corrupt GOP spare no expense at shutting him out during the primaries, even by breaking their own rules along the way, and the MSM shutting him out of valuable news coverage? That alone should make you wonder who is the true evil is.

You don't know what this candidate is really doing and will do if in office.

I know exactly what he is doing and will do if in office: He'll give the federal government, the neocons, and the status quo a major shake up and shake down.

Voting involves a number of bases for rational decisions, including the impact that your vote will have on the election. That doesn't transform it from a ballot to a lottery ticket or racing form.

When you compromise your beliefs and principles for who you feel would make a great leader and settle for someone you find less desireable based on whether or not you think they'll succeed, you have indeed turned your ballot into a lottery ticket. And that to me is a "sheeple" mentality that I cannot accept.

[DSTCHAOS]

Trust and believe, there is NOTHING evil at all about Ron Paul.

I'm not buying it, especially from someone who is in love with Ron Paul and wouldn't be able to criticize him even if he was voting to reinstate slavery. ;)

When you compromise your beliefs and principles for who you feel would make a great leader and settle for someone you find less desireable....

Don't leap too much. I think we're talking about two different things.

If I believe that no candidate can be trusted and they are all evil, and have the potential to send the country to hell, merely voting means that I am voting for the lesser of the evils. DUH. The point is to not vote based on party lines or because you are a FAN of a candidate.

The other point is to not vote for third parties simply because I'm an Independent and I think that that the two-party system is sucky. There are no party or candidate allegiances and that includes third parties.

ETA: My biggest thing about your continued "support" for Ron Paul is that you need to also consider what your vote will mean in the grander scheme of things. People have different reasons for supporting third party candidates. Yours is yours.

[OhSoVeryLadylike]

My uncle: Politics/Politicians are the DEVIL

And we all going to HELL for FOLLOWING those DEMONS.

[KAPital PHINUst]

I'm not buying it, especially from someone who is in love with Ron Paul and wouldn't be able to criticize him even if he was voting to reinstate slavery. ;)

Obama/McCain will most likely do just that, but I don't hear you giving those supporters flak for being "in love" with them.

Don't leap too much. I think we're talking about two different things.

If I believe that no candidate can be trusted and they are all evil, and have the potential to send the country to hell, merely voting means that I am voting for the lesser of the evils. DUH. The point is to not vote based on party lines or because you are a FAN of a candidate.

For the record, I have never voted based on party lines, and considering that over the 20th century, our country has received a string of substandard presidents who didn't give a dang about our country, our citizens, or anyone or anything that didn't directly benefit themselves and their selfish interests, it's pretty dang good to find a candidate to be even worthy enough to hold one of the most powerful offices in the world to even consider being a fan of.

ETA: My biggest thing about your continued "support" for Ron Paul is that you need to also consider what your vote will mean in the grander scheme of things. People have different reasons for supporting third party candidates. Yours is yours.

To say the least, I have a sickening feeling that should martial law ever be declared, I'm gonna wind up spending my next Christmas holiday in a hoosegow.

[DSTCHAOS]

Obama/McCain will most likely do just that, but I don't hear you giving those supporters flak for being "in love" with them.

Then you've certainly missed all of my political posts on this board.

As much as you'd like to believe it, you're not getting special treatment.

[KAPital PHINUst]

Then you've certainly missed all of my political posts on this board.

As much as you'd like to believe it, you're not getting special treatment.

I'll give you the benefit of a doubt on that one.

I don't read posts concerning other candidates, because AFAIC, it's Ron Paul or no one at all.

[DSTCHAOS]

I don't read posts concerning other candidates, because AFAIC, it's Ron Paul or no one at all.

That's your bias.

[KAPital PHINUst]

That's your bias.

Exactly!

(and unapologetically)

[nittanyalum]

Trust and believe, there is NOTHING evil at all about Ron Paul.
I think that depends on your POV and how much you let the guy disavow his past:

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=e2f15397-a3c7-4720-ac15-4532a7da84ca

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/10/paul.newsletters/index.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/16/politics/animal/main3721817.shtml

[DSTCHAOS]

Thanks, nittanyalum.

(I overlooked a lot because I didn't know Ron Paul was trying to get the Repub nomination.)

[KAPital PHINUst]

I think that depends on your POV and how much you let the guy disavow his past:

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=e2f15397-a3c7-4720-ac15-4532a7da84ca

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/10/paul.newsletters/index.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/16/politics/animal/main3721817.shtml

If you're trying to allude that Ron Paul is in some way a racist, these articles really don't do a good job of making that point.

[nittanyalum]

If you're trying to allude that Ron Paul is in some way a racist, these articles really don't do a good job of making that point.
LOL. Wow. Okay. Again, POV, I guess.

[Blacksocialite]

I know people in Florida who feel exhausted and angry over the last several elections (Presidential election of 2000 and Democratic primary of 2007/08) where 'their votes didn't count' - so they have decided to not vote, opting to lobby for election reform instead.

[DSTCHAOS]

LOL. Wow. Okay. Again, POV, I guess.

He's a FAN of a candidate. :)

[MsFoxyLoxy77]

I know people in Florida who feel exhausted and angry over the last several elections (Presidential election of 2000 and Democratic primary of 2007/08) where 'their votes didn't count' - so they have decided to not vote, opting to lobby for election reform instead.

What they should be doing is voting to remove the Republican majority in the Florida House, Florida Senate, & Governor's office.

They are the real source of our election problems. The 2000 election wouldn't have went down like it did if Jeb wasn't Bush's brother & Katherine "dragon lady" Harris (who was George W. Bush's 2000 Election Florida Co-Chair) weren't there to purge black voters & out of state ex-felons from the voting rolls in the guise of purging actual felons. Talk about conflict of interest.

Likewise this year's Democratic primary fiasco wouldn't have happend if the Florida Congress wasn't 2:1 Republican to Democrats. They controled the legislation to illegally push the primary to Jan. 29 & tagged on a provision that supports paper ballot printouts when one uses voter machines so Dems would be pressured to support their propasal.

Also, IMHO the only people that would refuse to vote because of what happened in the 2008 primary season are people who did not vote for Obama. Trust I don't want to be divisive but it could be sour grapes.