In Defense of An Informed Non-vote

After a shorter reprieve from blogging than I expected, I have begun anew with a new blog, and a new location. This is going to be the first post in my new essay blog. This is where I will be giving my analysis and opinions of several topics that effect our world today. Interestingly enough, my first entry is on a topic that I absolutely loath: politics. Enjoy!


**NOTE: When I originally wrote this, I was writing as one who would not be placing a vote for President. I have since, much to my own surprise, picked a candidate that I am willing to support. I have chosen not to change the tone, nor the details, of this essay because I feel that my point is better made this way.

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After chatting with a friend about my current stance on this year's Presidential election, with admittedly little preparation beforehand, I feel that I must explain why I am most likely going to refuse giving either candidate my support. I am putting it up here because I believe that other people may also benefit from reading this, even if it causes them to be more strongly committed in the other direction. Perhaps especially if that happens.

Right now, I do not believe that either candidate represents my viewpoints or wishes with regard to many issues. The simple fact that I do not have much confidence in either Sen. McCain or Sen. Obama is enough for me to say, "no, thanks." Of course, that isn't enough for other people, so I thought more about it. I must say, as I continue to explore my options, a no-vote appeals to me more and more. I feel that not voting is my best vote, and I will address as many counter-arguments as I can think of in an effort to support my opinion.

Before I go on, let me just say that I don't believe that all non-votes are equal. Despite the fact that the end result is the same, I do not support people who decide that they just do not care enough to vote. That is lazy and irresponsible. I believe in making an informed decision and following through. In this case, it is the motivation that matters, not the outcome.

And now, I will plead my case.


-Argument #1: Voting is your right as an American citizen-

This is true, and I will be voting this year; just not for President. I may also point out that it is my right to abstain from voting. Let me give an example. In this country, it is a woman's right to have an abortion. Now, I do not wish to get into the morality or the reasons behind such a decision. What I want to do is to simply make a logical connection between rights of choice. Just because a woman has the right to an abortion does not mean that she must have one. She must come to a decision about such an act by weighing the possible outcomes, as well as be guided by her own beliefs, and hopefully by the advice from trusted family, friends, and counselors. In the end, she must believe in her decision and follow through.

Likewise, just because I can vote does not mean that I have to vote. I have informed myself on the beliefs and actions of the two candidates, and based on the possible and likely outcomes, I have decided that I cannot support either of them. I believe in my decision, and I will follow through. This does not mean that the door is shut. I will continue to pay attention to the race, and if one of the candidates does or says something to convince me that he is the guy, then I will vote for him. Right now, they got nothin'.

-Argument #2: You have a responsibility to voice your opinion-

I believe that, by voting for everything except for President, I am voicing my opinion. I am treating my entire ballot as one vote. By that I mean that I am using a voting philosophy for this election wherein my opinions are best expressed by viewing all of my votes, and not just one of them. I am voting non-incumbent for U.S. Congress, and I am voting for the incumbent in state elections. I feel that, taken as a whole, my ballot is evidence of my dissatisfaction with our national leaders, while at the same voicing my support for transferring power to the states. Oklahoma is still pretty well off as far as the economy and everything goes, and I can't imagine that our state legislature had nothing to do with that.

I do not believe that any one American has, or should have, the vast amount of power that people seem to believe our President does. We have three branches of government for a reason, and I don't believe we treat each branch as equal. My non-vote is a small way of saying that we need to shift some of our focus away from the executive branch, and try to bring some balance back to government.

-Argument #3: People in other countries do not have the same privilege-

And by voting for President, I will not be giving them that privilege. Look, I understand that the point of this argument is to encourage people to not take our voting for granted, but it just doesn't hold any weight for me. Besides, I haven't taken anything for granted; I came to this course of action after going back and forth for quite some time. I have thought about giving my vote to both candidates, write-ins, anything else I could think of, and this is where I find myself after weeks of self-debate. Just as starving kids in China do not cause me to like eating chicken gizzards, other countries' lack of voting do not cause me to support one guy over the other. It just isn't going to happen like that. I do think that every one should have the ability to choose who governs over them, but as I noted in my first point, that comes with the right to withhold that vote.

-Argument #4: Every vote counts-

Well, yes and no. Every vote is counted, and they add up to a winner and a loser. In that regard, every one who votes participates in the outcome. I would counter that statement, however, with a question: How do I specify that I vote for someone, but with certain reservations? Unless I missed something, that isn't an option on the ballot. Therefore, my vote does not count in the same way as those who joyously and confidently show their support. Sure, it adds up in the count, but it does not portray my hesitation or my concerns. It is a simple yes-or-no. That isn't enough for me this time.

-Argument #5: If you don't vote, you can't complain-

My vote, or lack thereof, is my complaint for reasons I have already given. Congratulations for putting yourself in a Catch 22 situation.

-Argument #6: This election is significant in its importance, so you must participate-

This is really two separate arguments mistakenly lumped into one; the latter argument I have already disputed. As far as the importance of this year, I would like to know why it is more important than any of our previous elections. Is it our economic troubles? I don't think fixing the economy is dependent on putting the right man in office. Whoever gets in will seek appropriate counsel from legitimate experts. Is it the war effort? I see merits in both candidates' stances, and I would be willing to see either plan happen. Is it because one of the candidates is a black man? That does make this election historically significant, but I would hope that people are basing their vote on something other than skin color. So what is it? I can't think of anything else that would make this one election stand out other than the fact that both sides are up in arms, shouting at each other, claiming that if the other guy wins, this country is going down the drain. Well, that ain't happening, folks. Again, if one man (or woman) in this country has that much power, regardless of who it is, that is when I move to Canada. Or Finland. Or Japan.

-Argument #7: If you don't vote for X, then you're just helping Y win-

I have heard this from both sides. I have also heard an interestingly different plea that goes, "I don't care what you do, as long as you don't vote for X." Not really overwhelming approval of what I am doing, but I'll take it.

By not voting I am neither helping, nor hurting, either candidate. Non-votes do not effect the outcome of the race, but forcing people to vote who do not want to effects it in a negative way. Do you really want our nation's major leaders decided by coin tosses? That is what it amounts to when people have been convinced to vote no matter what. Maybe that is what you want, if that means your guy wins, but I am certainly not interested in that scenario.

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So there you have it. Now, I am quite sure that I have not convinced anyone who didn't already think that my position is valid. To everyone who still believes that I am making the wrong decision, I pose the following question:

Why should I vote for someone I don't support?

Whether I vote for McCain or Obama, I will be forcing myself to back a person who does not represent my views or my attitudes. I will be making a half-hearted and reluctant decision. Give me a good reason to do this, and I will vote. So far, I am not convinced.

I will be perfectly fine with whomever should win this election, but I have a pretty strong feeling that it will be Sen. Obama. I think he has the potential to be a great leader. If I'm right on both accounts, then I will be glad that there were enough people who felt confidently enough in his ability that they chose to elect him as President. I'm just not one of those people.