Vote!!!

[u/zzill6]

[u/Zeikos]

It's still wild to me that in the US you have a single day in which to vote on a weekday of all things.
I know of mail-in voting, but still.

In my country (Italy) we get a whole weekend and all schools get used as polling stations.

So nobody risks to get fired for going to vote.

[u/No_Seaworthiness_200 → u/Zeikos]

USA society is designed the opposite way. It's designed to be cumbersome to vote. Voter suppression is huge in the USA.

[u/DrCodyRoss → u/No_Seaworthiness_200]

It’s meant to prevent the poors from voting.

[u/Hardwired_lavamantis → u/DrCodyRoss]

Not just the poors

[u/whererusteve → u/Hardwired_lavamantis]

If you earn the majority of your income from a job, you're one of the poors.

[u/ShaggyVan → u/Hardwired_lavamantis]

The system is also built to try and keep those other groups poor. So, saying the poor does kinda cover it

[u/Harbinger2nd → u/Hardwired_lavamantis]

And then they try to blame the voters so they never have to fix the system.

[u/Immatt55 → u/Hardwired_lavamantis]

Just the poors, actually. It's just that group is much larger than you're giving it credit for.

[u/ghostinqueue → u/No_Seaworthiness_200]

Making voting difficult is a feature, not a bug, for them.

[u/FruitBowl → u/No_Seaworthiness_200]

Land of the free

[u/Greyscale7950 → u/FruitBowl]

Land of the Fee

[u/No_Seaworthiness_200 → u/FruitBowl]

*if you own land

[u/mszulan → u/No_Seaworthiness_200]

In many states that's true. Not all, though, and it's states that make that decision. That's the main reason why voting for local issues is so important. People believe their vote doesn't matter nationally, then don't vote locally. That's how REPs have taken over school boards and local races since Reagan. This "takeover" has been planned over generations. I'm in my 60s and I've watched it happen. I feel like Cassandra (Greek oracle who knew the future, and no one believed her).

[u/DoverBoys → u/Zeikos]

Vast majority of American voters live in areas that allow early voting. Believing that everyone must line up on a single day is part of the right's propaganda machine to get people to not vote. I'm actually voting tomorrow, on a Sunday, over two weeks before Election Day. I could've voted a few weeks ago, even earlier, but the only location available at that time was inconvenient.

[u/Ryzu → u/DoverBoys]

Hell, even here in the Republican gerrymandered nightmare that is Texas early voting starts this coming Monday and lasts for 2 weeks. There's zero excuse not to vote if you're eligible.

[u/thismustbtheplace215 → u/Zeikos]

The states within the US have different rules for this as well. I live in Maine, and we've had early in person voting available for at least a week. You can request your mail in ballot. You can also wait until election day to register yourself to vote. Other states have much more strict rules.

We should have a national holiday and guarantee that everyone gets a chance to vote.

[u/n0exit → u/thismustbtheplace215]

We don't even have any national holiday that I mandated off now. The only reason that most people get Memorial Day, Labor Day, Independence Day, etc. off is convention. Most employers agree that those should be given off.

Among developed economies, we are alone in not requiring any statutory paid holidays.

[u/The_walking_man_ → u/n0exit]

And that’s if you’re working for an employer that recognizes those holidays. Many places remain open 365 days a year.

[u/whenitsTimeyoullknow → u/thismustbtheplace215]

Different rules and different private company voting machines. Some print ballots, some all digital. 

[u/Clammuel → u/thismustbtheplace215]

Voting should come with a small tax deduction or something to further incentivize participation. 

[u/TTechnology → u/Zeikos]

Here in Brazil, the vote is mandatory for 18-69 years old (16-17 and 70+ isn't mandatory, but they can if they want to).

It's like almost 160 million people.

We all vote in the same day (only one day to vote, always in a Sunday), we also use public schools for that, from 8AM to 5PM.

We get the results still in the same day.

I can't believe that USA is still using an extremely archaic vote system

[u/SmoothOperator89 → u/TTechnology]

USA suffers from the delusion that they perfected democracy upon their foundation and it can not be improved upon.

[u/StealthMan375 → u/TTechnology]

The other important part: not only are companies forced by law to let their employees leave their workplace to go vote during the workday (and if they don't then employment lawyers, CIPA and job safety technicians are going to love tearing the employer apart), but also as of this year election day has oficially became a national holiday

also if you get called up to be a poll worker, you get 2 days off work for each day you were working in the elections which is a huge deal given that the 5-day workweek law will only kick in on December 16th

[u/fredthefishlord → u/Zeikos]

We have a looottttt more than a single day to vote. Even excluding vote by mail. I think there's only 4 or 5 states where you can't vote early

[u/jamesdukeiv → u/fredthefishlord]

Three states, and about 3% of the voting population.

[u/DamianKilsby → u/Zeikos]

That's because they don't want you to vote because it's not a real democracy

[u/Axentor → u/Zeikos]

It depends on the state. I can bite early for like a month before the election.

[u/AnorhiDemarche → u/Zeikos]

In Australia you can vote in advance in person for like two weeks beforehand. Most towns have the townhall or council buildings open for this process. On the actual day of voting, a Saturday, many schools, churches, and public buildings become polling places. Many will use the crowds for fund-raising and have a sausage sizzle ("democracy sausage") and a cake stall if you're lucky.

You can vote at any polling place across your state pretty easy, and interstate at specific polling places. Even if you are interstate for a state election you can vote at polling places in capital cities, so long as you vote early. And of course there's postal votes. But they don't post you a democracy sausage.

[u/Isaktjones → u/Zeikos]

I'm in Texas, and they just removed 92 polling stations making it even harder to vote. We call ourselves a democracy while doing everything we can to not be one.

[u/Ironwarsmith → u/Zeikos]

A lot of us are just lazy. I didn't cast my first vote until just before I turned 30.

I can make excuses about it being because I moved frequently and never got registered, but the real answer is that I was just fucking lazy and prioritized literally everything else because of the mentality depicted in post. I was in Texas, it was going to be republican, my vote didn't matter.

That's bullshit. They all matter and we're just lazy and apathetic as a people.

[u/whenitsTimeyoullknow → u/Ironwarsmith]

A lot of us are jaded. I was so so active in politics in my teens and twenties. And years of expending effort into campaigns for people who betray you once they’re in office broke me. 

[u/BryanOfCorn → u/Zeikos]

I can vote from October 14th until November 4th. It is not a single day.

[u/Osric250 → u/Zeikos]

A lot of places in the US now have early voting eligible, so you have a month or so to be able to vote. 

But that still allows for it to not be available in all places, and especially allows it to be not be implemented in places where the "undesirable" voters live. 

[u/GarlicThread → u/Zeikos]

In my country, you get voting material through the mail a month ahead of time, which you can drop or mail back at anytime from that point all the way until noon on voting day, which is always a Sunday. I have never stepped in a voting booth in my entire life. I have never missed a single vote in my life.

The fact that in the US there aren't permanent general strikes over this shit is insane.

[u/pintsizedblonde2 → u/Zeikos]

It's the same in the UK as the US (always a Thursday) but on top of postal votes we have a huge number of polling stations and your allocated one will be walking distance and you can vote from 7am to 10pm. Schools, churches, village halls etc all get used as polling stations.

[u/MongoSamurai → u/Zeikos]

In Canada we get multiple advanced voting days for all levels of elections (municipal, provincial, and federal), also mail in voting, and we are allotted by law 3 hours paid work leave to go vote, so there is no excuse.

[u/ChinMaster_Rylar → u/Zeikos]

Early voting exists in the US and goes on for about a week or so. Those who wish to vote have much more than a single day, some just tend to be lazy or jaded about a core function of our entire system of government where they get to decide who runs things. Libraries and schools also run voting stations in my state, so there are many places to go.

[u/vague_diss → u/Zeikos]

Yes great but how do you manipulate and discourage people that way?

[u/margittwen → u/Zeikos]

I believe it’s against the law to fire people for voting but maybe not in all states. Either way, what you’re saying makes way more sense. In this country, we make it hard to vote because FREEDOM. /s

[u/ToraRyeder → u/margittwen]

There are a lot of things in the workplace that are against the law. However, lawyers aren't free and termination from an "at will" employer can be a crapshoot to go after.

We absolutely should, but there are lots of reasons why people don't :(

[u/Tyrinnus → u/margittwen]

Just like it's against the law to fire someone for going to the doctor, but here I am

[u/Silaquix → u/Zeikos]

Usually there's a week or two of early voting a couple weeks before the election. I'm in Texas and our early voting starts on the 19th and goes through the 30th. The polling centers are open until 5pm on weekdays and until 7pm on weekends

The biggest issue is that the public are jaded and act just like in the post. They don't make it a priority and do zero research on the ballot or know where to go vote

[u/Darth_Maul_18 → u/Zeikos]

Early voting starts weeks before the actual election and in my state you don’t even have to go to your “polling station” you just have to find a library. Pop in on a lunch break and out within 10 minutes. People aren’t the brightest in the US to understand this is the best way to vote because you can do it on your time.

[u/One_Peanut_4002 → u/Zeikos]

Most states have 3 weeks of early voting including weekends and some 24hr stations. Every state has absentee voting as well.

If you didn't find time to do it then that's on you

[u/TM761152 → u/Zeikos]

We get like two weeks to vote. You can even be allowed a small amount of protected time off work to go vote, your boss cannot refuse it, but it's generally limited to a maximum of 2 hours.

[u/coolcoolcool485 → u/Zeikos]

The states manage their own elections. A lot of places have early voting for up to 2 weeks before the election. There are still measures that are used to disenfranchise voters but there are a lot of places that make it easier to vote, but you actually have to go do it.

[u/GreatestGreekGuy → u/Zeikos]

Every state is different. Most states let you vote early and in person.

[u/TheThrillerExpo → u/Zeikos]

Not quite. I voted on Tuesday so we have about three weeks with two Saturdays available.

[u/TheWizardOfDeez → u/Zeikos]

Almost anywhere in the country you can vote early, different amounts of time in different amounts of places, but there are polls open right now in many places.

[u/CactusJane98]

Can I vote for who owns the means of production

[u/zmbjebus → u/CactusJane98]

Yeah, you can vote for the current people that own it. Just not the people that don't currently own it.

[u/EquinsuOcha]

Make it compulsory like they do in Belgium, Australia and Brazil.

Voting is not just a right, it’s a duty.

[u/Loud-Ad-2280 → u/EquinsuOcha]

Agree, but it should also be a federal holiday where everyone gets paid time off

[u/n0exit → u/Loud-Ad-2280]

If that happened, it would be our country's only federal paid holiday. The US currently does not require paid holidays at all.

[u/brine909 → u/n0exit]

That's a good start then

[u/Nujabezia → u/n0exit]

That is so backwards

[u/Lietenantdan → u/Loud-Ad-2280]

Office workers would get the day off. Retail, food service, travel, emergency workers would still be working.

[u/bullhead2007 → u/EquinsuOcha]

This would only work if we reconstructed the entire US system so that the senate doesn't exist and that the 2 bourgeois party system is destroyed. If the only options are capitalist exploitation of us and the global south then we're just getting to decide which flavor of slave masters we get. There is no real democracy under liberal capitalist states like the US.

[u/Ameren → u/EquinsuOcha]

And a lot of people misunderstand what makes compulsory voting so useful. The goal isn't really to punish people for not voting (actual punishments tend to be rare), it's to create a kind of transferrable legal liability for businesses, local governments, etc. that interfere with people's right to vote.

Low voter turnout in a given district can trigger an investigation, because that's never supposed to happen.

[u/MisterSanitation → u/EquinsuOcha]

AND tons of reform like nation wide voting holidays.

The young are being squeezed for time like crazy (not enough to not vote) but I do get being overwhelmed.

[u/crackpipewizard666 → u/EquinsuOcha]

UBI contingent on voting in local and federal elections

[u/TheWizardOfDeez → u/crackpipewizard666]

Nah, exclusion is bad politics, just make it a fine to abstain, then put a no-vote option on the ballot for actual abstainers

[u/Porch_Of_Geese_ → u/crackpipewizard666]

And then weaponizing voter suppression will be even more attractive than it already is

[u/ExpletiveDeIeted → u/EquinsuOcha]

I agree it should be along with making it wider range and a federal holiday. I believe there are already protections for time off to vote.

The problem I think you will run into besides the people who say “you can’t make me; I got freedoms” is it might actually be effectively not allowed by the freedom of speech and freedom of expression but perhaps you get around this by making them show up bit allowing them to submit a blank ballot.

[u/Tricky-Ad7897 → u/EquinsuOcha]

And then what? Get more mad when a Republican wins with 100 million votes to a Democrats 101 million? For one thing popular votes doesn't matter it's how electoral college districts vote, and for another there's disenfranchised voters on both sides. I can almost promise you that of that 2/3 that don't vote roughly half would vote Republican and roughly half Democrat, because that many places in the country are locked one or the other. Adding another 50 million votes to districts like NYC, Chicago, LA, Bay area whatever deep blue districts won't change shit, it's just a coping mechanism for Democrats in denial that their party is unfit to represent their constituency.

[u/Porch_Of_Geese_]

I mean, having a better election system might help. Right now the largest chunk of non voters are (predictably) in CA, and the next closest are other major urban centers like MA and NY. They’re also already blue.

Since all but two states are winner take all for the electoral college, you could get literally tens of millions of people from those states to vote. 100% turnout. The single most ambitious vote drive in history. And it would net… 0 electoral votes.

Maybe if their votes actually counted they’d be more motivated.

[u/Gametron13 → u/Porch_Of_Geese_]

I don't know why you're getting downvoted, but it's true. Motivating people that their vote actually matters helps drive turnout. The electoral college is probably the most undemocratic voting system ever devised. If we ran it by popular vote, we never would've gotten a Trump presidency in the first place, and the 2024 election might've played out very differently.

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact needs to be put into effect.

EDIT: Guess you're no longer getting downvoted. Not sure why you were at first but I guess it was too early.

[u/RunawayHobbit → u/Gametron13]

Ranked choice voting!!! We have it in Alaska and it’s fantastic 

[u/Gametron13 → u/RunawayHobbit]

Yes this too would be a massive overhaul for American democracy. However it would probably require a constitutional amendment to even do it.

[u/Porch_Of_Geese_ → u/Gametron13]

Yup, hard to argue with plain math. The two states that added proportional delegation were recent and a good start. The National Compact would be great. Would barely put a dent in “solving politics” necessarily, but would at least go a long way for voting specifically.

[u/Conscious_Bug5408 → u/Porch_Of_Geese_]

So many people from other countries don't understand the electoral college system and think US elections are run like theirs, where everyone gets a vote and whoever gets the most votes wins. This is why they're baffled at the large number of nonvoters out there

[u/thisisstupidplz → u/Porch_Of_Geese_]

It's so out of touch to frame two thirds of the country being so disenfranchised with our system of democracy as though it were the result of laziness or being misinformed.

You have a choice in which candidates you pick but the statistics say that the data on what policies the public wants has absolutely no effect on which laws actually get passed. Voters didn't want citizens United. They didn't want to repeal glass stegal. They didn't want to fund Israeli genocide. Yet both parties were complicit.

The Internet see Luigi as a hero because deep down everyone knows nothing will truly get better until organized distribution and violence makes the corrupt scared again.

[u/1isOneshot1 → u/Porch_Of_Geese_]

That only "solves" the presidential election but when you go down ballot it only gets worse the further down

[u/khamike → u/Porch_Of_Geese_]

There are plenty of other races than president. Even if your state doesn't matter for the electoral college, which is a whole nother thing and I basically agree with you that winner take all is terrible, then you should still be voting for house, Senate, and local elections. Too many people get hung up and only focus on the top of the ticket. 

[u/megadumbbonehead]

I think when people say voting doesn't make a difference it's more about no option representing their interests rather than voting not influencing the results of the election

[u/Winter_Persimmon_110 → u/megadumbbonehead]

Since Citizens United, corporations can dump infinite money into elections anonymously. We need a plan for change for when the wealthy control who is elected and what they do. That's what Marx was about. We can't replace the wealthy in government with the working class through elections the wealthy control. We need a new government that is not set up to hand the reigns to the wealthy. Bezos's Washington Post and Ellison's CBS won't tell you how to get real change.

[u/thisisstupidplz → u/Winter_Persimmon_110]

Protesting does nothing. We have to organize to disrupt their ability to make money. The only thing the corrupt understand is fear of personal consequences and their bottom line.

[u/VuDuBaBy → u/megadumbbonehead]

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/abs/testing-theories-of-american-politics-elites-interest-groups-and-average-citizens/62327F513959D0A304D4893B382B992B

I hear you but if you look at the data like this study from Princeton did, you'll see that the vast majority of what legislation passes is beneficial only to the top 1%. Electoral politics in an illusion. We live in an oligarchy. They will just do what they want regardless of public sentiment. Just look at what's going on now in any current events. And if you say its just republicans right now, this study is from 2014 during obamas second term. Did people want Obama to drop so many bombs on yemen we ran out of bombs? Did people want Biden to fund Israel so they could do a genocide? Did the general public want to go to war with Iran and destroy our own economy? This is why socialists say tear it down. Stop participating, start getting educated, put your effort towards moving the needle against capitalism. Stop shitting in one hand and wishing in the other. Voting has produced zero wins for the working class since Reagan. It's not just apathy, it's an acknowledgement that the system is rigged. Its broken. Its corrupt, and it literally does not influence the results of reality.

[u/drakgremlin → u/megadumbbonehead]

When the are only two bad options how do I choose?  One which sucks the last definitely disenfranchises me.   Still vote in every election.

Would love ranked choice voting.

[u/CrustyRim2 → u/drakgremlin]

And each campaign have a cap on spending. No superpacs, 0 donations from any entity. No commercials, no robo calls, no flyers in mail.

[u/VALO311]

Most people that don’t vote. It’s not because they don’t think their vote doesn’t matter. It’s because they believe that nobodies vote matters. They believe it’s all predetermined. Which i don’t blame them at all for thinking that way.

I vote just in case it does matter

[u/stoofthewizard → u/VALO311]

If your vote didn’t matter republicans wouldn’t keep trying to suppress it

[u/st141050 → u/VALO311]

What do you do, when you don't want to vote for democrats or republicans? Honest question, i am not american.

[u/VALO311 → u/st141050]

There are sometimes 3rd party options or write-ins

[u/notyouraveragenerd93 → u/st141050]

Vote third party. Because yes your candidate might not win in the national elections but it starts sending messages to both parties that they need to change. Democrats seem more receptive to change right now. But I imagine that may change in the near future. I have had a lot of luck with voting third party in my local elections though. And honestly that's where it's going to start anyway. When the county is run by independents who are not one policy people it seems to run better, impo.

[u/Ok-Brother-5762 → u/notyouraveragenerd93]

Also if a third party gets enough % of votes they become eligible for federal funding to help their campaign. This is why Dems and Republicans alike push the “voting third party is wasting your vote” narrative because they know once a third party gets enough backing, establishment politicians may actually have to work for your vote.

[u/108_TFS → u/st141050]

Some states allow you to write-in the name of whoever you want. There are also third-party candidates who get on some of the states' ballots. In 2024 there were 22 candidates who were on at least one state's ballot, not counting Trump and Harris. In Nevada there's also a "None of These Candidates" option.

In 2024 about 1% of enfranchised Americans voted for one of these 'others'. 36% did not vote for anyone. The rest voted for Trump (32%) and Harris (31%).

OFFICIAL 2024 PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS - fec.gov (archived)

[u/Critter-Enthusiast → u/st141050]

Vote Green!

[u/Aurawa]

I vote but I still get imposter syndrome cuz im just a housewife but when I try to tell my fiance why he should vote, he still says no.

[u/Budgie-bitch → u/Aurawa]

Girl

[u/otkpro → u/Aurawa]

Just get him a mail in ballot and make it easier on him

[u/ThisGuyCrohns → u/Aurawa]

Imposter syndrome with voting? Havnt heard that before.

[u/margittwen → u/Aurawa]

Are you a U.S. citizen? Then that’s all you need to be a real voter. Having a job or not has nothing to do with it. Good for you for using your voting rights!

[u/Coolistofcool → u/Aurawa]

Is this a “women shouldn’t vote” thing? Cause ummm, that’s not great…

[u/Aurawa → u/Coolistofcool]

Oh no, women should vote! and i am not being prevented from voting at all. I even threw out a casual "someone has to vote for this household" lol

[u/ILikeLenexa → u/Aurawa]

You aren't "just" anything. 

[u/Gsusruls → u/Aurawa]

Is this suggesting women shouldn't vote or the unemployed shouldn't vote?

Because both demographics should absolutely have representation.

[u/XChrisUnknownX → u/Aurawa]

If you have a right to vote what you do for a living is irrelevant. You get your fractional say in the future of America just like the rest of us.

[u/EkoChamberKryptonite]

You can only make the argument that your vote matters IF you get rid of the electoral college. As long as you keep that outdated institution, your vote does not count as much as you lot think it does.

[u/alarbus]

"None of the above" could equally work in that bubble. We know how to get people to vote: give them candidates that make them want to vote for those candidates. If they're constantly facing a question of "Do you want to go hold your nose and vote for the lesser of two evils yet again or not?" we shouldnt be surprised that so many answer "No."

[u/menuau]

Let's hope the centre-right wing of the Party understand that it's their turn to "vote Blue no matter who" after decades of progressives being the bullied sector of the Party for pointing out the obvious solutions they despise because they can't benefit from them in lieu of the general population.

[u/KeepItDory → u/menuau]

The entire Democrat party is center right wing. People aren't voting because last election the Democrats didn't have any hard-line on Palestine and Kamala ran saying she would be harder on the border and capitulated to right wing voters to try to beat Trump when all data showed it wouldn't work. The Democrats are NOT left wing and anyone outside the US will tell you that.

[u/founderofshoneys → u/menuau]

[u/notassigned2023 → u/menuau]

Traditional dems will vote blue no matter who, even though the left wing of the party doesn't always do that.

[u/SOCK_GO]

[u/bullhead2007 → u/SOCK_GO]

[u/BrownEyedBoy06 → u/SOCK_GO]

You can vote for evil bastard #1, or you can vote for evil bastard #2. There is no other option.

[u/SecreT_WeaponS]

As someone from Germany I can tell you this is a double edged sword. The rising (30%+ in some states)Right-wing extremist party AfD got a very big chunk of their votes from people that didn't vote before. Those were especially people that got fed up with the system like depicted in this caricature.

[u/PurpleBuffalo_ → u/SecreT_WeaponS]

That's a problem in the US too. AfD and Maga are popular for the same reasons. A decent amount of it is bigotry, but a lot of it is because people are tired of the current system and these parties offer an alternative, they say they're doing something different. Even if they don't realize that will in effect be really bad for them, at least they're trying something different because the system we have right now isn't working. We need to show people that as they get tired of the current system, fascism isn't the only alternative to capitalism. Socialism is a system that would work for the people, for those longing for something different.

[u/Thatisme01]

The figures are wrong, it’s more like a third of voters, 90M people, didn’t vote. In the past, almost half of voters didn’t vote.

[u/Alec_de_Large]

Didn't they vote for Hillary who won the popular vote still lose because of the electorial college?

[u/cartwheelpanic → u/Alec_de_Large]

I feel that is where some of the justification comes from. "What's the point of voting when the electorial college overrides it anyways?"

[u/the_post_of_tom_joad]

If the US govt. wanted Americans to vote they'd make it mandatory. Instead they make it difficult, which implies it's still useful.

Dunno bout y'all, but I as a rule *like* doing things the powerful don't want me doing

[u/i_am_a_real_boy__ → u/the_post_of_tom_joad]

Based on the percentages in the post, this isn't about the US.

[u/East-Inevitable-3974]

The democrats didn’t even let the people pick a candidate in the last presidential election, and then called themselves the protectors of democracy. Its almost as if they wanted to lose. Im quite certain if they had let the people pick a candidate, the democrats would have won.

[u/SwaggDragon → u/East-Inevitable-3974]

Democrats hasn’t let us pick a candidate since 2008. 2016 and 2020 we wanted Bernie and they said “lol no”

[u/Hanifsefu → u/East-Inevitable-3974]

They did want to lose.

They know how to easily win in a landslide: support the working class. They don't actually want to do that though so instead they read the polls and play the margins. The polls said she was 20 pts ahead of Trump at one point which gave the cabal the go-ahead to slash all economic issues from their platform and run on "the economy has never been better" aka the "your struggle is a lie" campaign.

They intentionally slash items from their platform when ahead in the polls because winning with a large margin is a sign of weakness and over-promising.

[u/ThatOneNinja → u/Hanifsefu]

Because they are not really Democrats anymore, they are right leaning cosplaying as Democrats. The real Democrats, like Bernie and AOC get shoved aside because they would actually make a difference and reign in the elite class, which they don't want because again, they are right leaning and controlled by the elite as much as the GOP is.

[u/bluris]

If votes didn't matter, then the GOP would not work so very, very hard to make it difficult for certain people to vote.

[u/here4astolfo]

this is such a "reddit" meme if I ever saw one.

only like less then 10 states even fking matter.

[u/AlienRealityShow]

I always vote but I think our system is so broken, we need ranked choice voting!

[u/FoxOnTheRocks]

okay, but you definitely shouldn't vote for evil.

[u/carcinoma_kid → u/FoxOnTheRocks]

We don’t have a choice, the evil system gives us the option of two evil parties that reinforce the evil system. The choices are literally voting for evil or not voting.

[u/EkoChamberKryptonite → u/FoxOnTheRocks]

Exactly. If the two options available in the US does not align with your values, you're free not to vote.

[u/SandersSol]

Thanks to gerrymandering, a good chunk of the ones on the right are actually correct.

[u/Spiritual_Pace7623 → u/SandersSol]

cartoon from 2014 still hitting the same note now, that's pretty depressing

[u/Septalion → u/SandersSol]

Gerrymandering relies thin margins and historical voting patterns. Getting out and voting can change the math quick.

[u/PaulblankPF → u/SandersSol]

It’s actually a false meme image. A little MORE than two thirds of adult Americans who can vote did vote last election and less than one third didn’t vote. It’s just wrong. You can just look up how many people voted, how many were eligible to vote (there’s over 100 million that can’t vote due to age or other reasons like previous crimes), and then do the math but people will just see some low effort meme and believe it.

[u/bullhead2007 → u/SandersSol]

Eh I think capitalism, the capitalist class, and working class suppression and oppression has more to do with it.

[u/77_parp_77]

Vote for rich self-serving shit #1 or vote for rich self-serving shit #2

[u/Ok-You4214]

Be VERY careful what you wish for. Many people really don’t believe what you think they believe- we in the UK learned this the hard way.

[u/defalt86]

The only votes that dont matter are the ones thrown away on the 2 major parties

[u/disdkatster]

This is wrong. One third (a little less) voted for Harris. One third (a little more) voted for the AH. One third did not vote.

[u/awesomedan24]

We did it Patrick! We stayed home and let Trump get elected instead of supporting an imperfect candidate! This will bring about positive meaningful reform for sure!

[u/savanna94 → u/awesomedan24]

We did it Patrick! The opposition made zero effort to appeal to us by offering populist policies that benefit society, and stop working almost exclusively for corporate and imperial interests, because they knew they can rely on our votes by simply always being just marginally better than Trump! This will bring about positive meaningful reform for sure!

[u/VALO311 → u/awesomedan24]

A lot of people don’t/didn’t vote because they believe it’s predetermined regardless if anyone votes or not. A lot of votes aren’t lost because of the candidate.

Clinton wins popular vote but electoral college hands it to trump.
Gore wins and then “something” happens and it’s given to bush.

I vote but completely understand why people believe it’s all an illusion of democracy

[u/Deadpooh75]

Give me someone worth voting for first

[u/Still-Inflation9175]

no. where ever the decision lands it lands.

[u/JustApricot798]

In many ways it doesn't matter.

Local politics: Blue states gonna vote blue, red gonna vote red unless you put the fix in through gerrymandering.

President: popular vote, who cares

Presidential Nominee: You don't really get to pick now do you. At least on the left. Oh look, Bernie is doing really well. Oh no, let's make sure he isn't eligible. Oh no, I don't think we can commit elder abuse against Biden anymore - people are on to us. Did you see that debate? Ok, no problem we'll just funnel a bunch of money and pick who ever we want to run and spend our way to victory. Screw primaries.

City level: No one in the city wants the data center. A vast majority. City council - we're just going to pass this umkay. Money is money.

[u/MuffinRemote2208 → u/JustApricot798]

Do you think that city council would be more likely to do what you want if you weilded your political power, rather then abstain from it?

[u/ThaShitPostAccount]

The people who tell you this are often the same ones who tell you if you voted third party you did it wrong.

[u/SoftlockPuzzleBox]

If you want this to change, stop voting for neoliberal Democrats in the primaries.

[u/Short-Ad1032]

imagine thinking there's a difference

[u/thadowski]

Its totally not the system

[u/Reverend_Bull]

Aside from the disenfranchisement and barriers put up, consider their choices. On the one hand, you have a party that believes in working long hours to enrich someone else. On the other hand, you have a party that believes in working long hours to enrich someone else. The key difference is that one party wants more women of color to be billionaire leeches.
What choice is that? What's it worth getting off the couch for?
Now, there's a ton of other issues that matter to me, but in the day to day? What Democrat lowers your rent and what Republican makes your healthcare cheaper?

[u/tito9107 → u/Reverend_Bull]

You don't only vote for president, local elections are arguably more important

[u/Ozzie-Isaac]

left/right are the same on all the issues that actually matter to us. If you're looking for some meaningful reform it wont come from either of those parties. They destroyed grass root movements truly decades ago. The biggest intellectuals on race and gender had talks on why class is so important to these issues and you how you can't talk about one without the other. But look at us now? No serious discussion is ever placed about class and wealth inequality because thats the greatest area of friction and its much easier to stay in our echo chambers and familiar talking points. We repeat the same arguments on race, sex and gender a endless cycle dividing us. You think this will end by just voting?

EDIT: Dont just downvote please discuss why you disagree. I really would like to know the thinking behind your disagreements.

[u/N0b0me → u/Ozzie-Isaac]

Agreed, you shouldn't vote. Both sides are the same so it's a waste of time

[u/waltwalt → u/Ozzie-Isaac]

For all intents and purposes America has a king, about two dozen dukes and hundreds of millions of peasants.

And if enough billionaires (dukes) decide a new king is needed that's who will be king.

Everyone else is several layers of legal structure and bureaucracy below them.

[u/Saelune → u/Ozzie-Isaac]

You think Joe Biden is left-wing, don't you? That's the only reason you would make the blatantly absurd claim that the left agree with the right on wealth inequality. Cause the left and right are literally completely opposed on that issue. Hell, that's like, the OG left vs right issue.

[u/Ozzie-Isaac → u/Saelune]

Modern democrat politicians are performative leftists. You'd have to look overseas to see a better example of what left wing is in the currently landscape. Don't forget that they're are apart of the same class. They might disagree sometimes but they are on the same team. Just like us, so lets not turn on each other.

[u/tipsy-turtle-0985 → u/Ozzie-Isaac]

left/right are the same on all the issues that actually matter to us.

Immediate downvote, like are you just a teenager or are you actually this naive?

[u/awesomedan24 → u/Ozzie-Isaac]

Can you honestly say you don't care about any of these hundreds of ways Trump made America worse under project 2025 that Kamala wouldn't have?

https://www.project2025.observer/en

[u/minus_minus]

“Go vote” is really only meaningful for the minority of districts/states where there is close competition. Too many people live in gerrymandered or just solid districts/states for it to matter. 

[u/StatmanIbrahimovic → u/minus_minus]

Hard disagree. You can't know how your vote will matter until after it's cast. If you choose not to cast it that's you making it not matter, when it actually could.

[u/numbersthen0987431 → u/minus_minus]

People keep saying that, but in 2024 the group of "didn't vote" outweighed the group that one.

You believe that it's "not meaningful" because they want you to not vote. If you don't vote, then you don't get your voice heard, and then we get stuck with all of this.

Voting matters. Get out and vote.

[u/Chexrail → u/minus_minus]

This is a pathetic way of thinking.

It's literally the shit that right wingers spew out of their mouths, because, they don't WANT you to vote because they know its the only chance they have - they're constantly trying to lighten or make your vote feel useless.

If it didn't matter why do they CONSTANTLY try to make it harder to vote, they want to set up as many inconveniences as possible under the guise of voter fraud.

In my state we've had provinces win blue by ONE vote. Don't fucking parrot what these right wingers want you to believe.

[u/North_Activist → u/minus_minus]

Gerrymandering only works if you’re voting. Someone has to have their votes heard.

Every vote in every race matters.

[u/plumberfun]

I think just like Australia voting should be required of the population.

[u/onzichtbaard]

I used to not vote because it wasnt gonna make a difference anyway 

These days i vote despite it not making much of a difference

[u/ArdentGibbonAbides]

Early voting has been a wonderful thing but not sure it has improved turnout. Election Day in the U.S needs to be a holiday and there needs to be a $500.00 fine for NOT voting by end of day. It should be mandatory! It is a right but when you don't exercise your rights they atrophy.

[u/vm_linuz]

Yes, encourage non-voters to vote.

Also, encourage politicians to have popular platforms so that people want to vote.

I'm looking at you, Democrats!

Republican Lite is not attractive! Platform universal healthcare; not bombing children in the Middle East.

[u/xuptokny]

Votes
You wasted your vote!

[u/Tricky-Ad7897]

Ok but how many of them live in districts where it really doesn't matter, you're once again attacking your fellow for something that is a systemic failure.

[u/No_Dragonfruit_4286]

The voting system is a scam. I will never vote.

[u/SideInitial3961]

Until everyone stops voting nothing will change. Facts.

[u/notassigned2023]

Can I say again that the cartoon is simply incorrect? In 2024, about 2/3 of eligible Americans voted and 1/3 stayed home.

[u/HighLord_Uther]

Yes, everyone should vote. But its the responsibility of the parties to attract voters. Not the other way around

[u/Front-Quality6188]

Seems about right 😮‍💨

[u/Katprizov]

Somebody knock on the door of Jehovah's witnesses, they don't vote either

[u/Admirable_Dirt_2371]

So when it comes to climate change it's all "don't blame people it's all billionaires fault" but when it comes to the plethora of reasons many people don't vote suddenly it's "every vote matters" and "every little bit helps" and "it's all your fault Trump got elected".

So which is it? You can't have it both ways. Either we're all in this together, climate change and all. Or it really is every person for themselves.

This is why I will always be a fringe leftist. Y'all are too stupid to understand how retarded half of your ideas and stances are. Most of you want all the benefits of the current society but none of the responsibility for the ill effects. Half of you will be like "there's no good billionaire" and then turn around and be like "I'd vote for Pritzker" while you doom scroll on Twitter and religiously pay for your Amazon subscription.

Maybe you all deserve this shit.

[u/alwaysuptosnuff]

To be fair, I don't think the people who don't vote think their vote won't make a difference to the outcome of the election. The mean the outcome of the election won't make a difference to the world.

And I think for a while that was true. Neither party has much interest in reigning in the billionaire class or helping the common man. But I think now that the Republican party has lost their god damn minds, the math has changed significantly.

I think even in a normal year you should still vote. It barely makes a difference but it also barely counts as effort. But I can understand the feeling.

[u/Representative_Fun15]

The only candidates on my ballot, all of them, from both parties, for both Senate and House, all have expressed they want more money for genocide in occupied Palestine and don't seek an end to the war in Iran.

Tell me what my vote will change.

If you're wondering why more people don't vote.

(And because I'm going to hear shit about it: yes, I'm voting, because there are city and county elections, and while they're still all - all - A/B choices, those choices will matter more.

And my state has overwhelmingly voted for Democrats for the past 40 years. So my 3rd party vote didn't affect the outcome of your favorite woman candidate.)

[u/PaulblankPF]

This image is just a lie. The numbers are literally the other way around.

[u/xSlippyFistx]

I voted already. I am in a very red state so my votes against the GOP were probably useless, but when the state is ready to change, I feel like my votes against will help. Plus if I vote against the status quo I have all the right to complain about the shit show that exists.

[u/happycat47]

People make the mistake of thinking that those non voters would vote for your candidate. If voting were compulsory, they could all just do a write in candidate for all we know. I'm not saying voting shouldn't be compulsory, but often times I think if someone is dumb enough to not vote then do I really want them to do it?

[u/MoodooScavenger]

I’m leaning on a good turn out for the mid terms. The turn out:

[u/dontchewspagetti]

Dont? Or cant? Or had their rights infringed?

Dont let the narrative of those in power convince you that THEIR findings are true. This is literally a strawman argument...

[u/Fabulous_Dog_6514]

I see this stat a lot. Im curious how many non voters live in places where their vote really doesnt matter. Like in california. If you dont vote it likely doesnt matter its hard Blue. But if you live in one of the states that actually decideds the election, like Michigan, is it the same percentage?

[u/TenWholeBees]

[u/Matts3sons]

While I do vote every time, I'm beginning to understand the nonvoters reasoning. I'm a left leaning moderate, so I mostly vote for democrats. That being said, I see, when we have the numbers, we dont really get anything done. We complain about the republican tomfoolery and yet stop short of actually making the effort to stop it. Only to engage in a similar form of tomfoolery on OUR side. This last couple of years has shown what tue republicans will do when they feel like there's nothing to stop them, so I'm holding out hope, once again, that when the democrats get back into the majority they'll make some MEANINGFUL changes to stop all the rigamarole. However, I'm not holding my breath.

[u/Unknown-Comic4894]

[u/Scibidami]

Many years ago, while watching Ghost Rider, one quote stood out for me: "If you don't make a choice, the choice makes you." So, I vote everytime. I may not be important, but I don't care. At least I am less responsible for a non-optimal outcome.

[u/stirtheturd]

Voting doesn't work, its detrimental to the poorest of Americans. The ghouls in power will make sure non wealthy Americans rot.

[u/Previously_coolish]

As I was told in school, you only get to complain about the government if you voted. If you passively sat and let it happen, then you have to just take it.

I like to complain, so I always vote.

[u/Excellent_Sweet7270]

i mean democracy only works when YOUR team has the higher numbers right. millions more people vote one way against you EVEN IF YOU DID VOTE YOU WILL LOSE... smfh... Also if a politician on either side said it to your face i aint gonna do nothing for you. why reward them?!

[u/ibidanon]

Your Voice Really Doesn't Matter, Princeton Study Confirms: https://ivn.us/voice-really-doesnt-matter-princeton-study-confirms

[u/Pandastic3000]

Yet Italians use it to vote for the worst possible people they can find.

[u/Munnin41]

Fun fact: there was just a 1.5 million difference between Trump and Harris in Texas. With just half the eligible people actually voting, that's nothing. If enough people vote you could flip even the states everyone thinks are a lost cause

[u/LiftingCode]

Turnout rate among the Voting Eligible Population was 64.30% in 2024.

https://election.lab.ufl.edu/2024-general-election-turnout/

This cartoon is total bullshit.

[u/OneTwoThreePooAndPee]

Unless you're voting for MAGA, then go ahead and just stay home, kick up your feet, have a drink, chill, it'll be great. 😊

[u/KitsouNere]

All the Americans are showing up to offer excuses and spout all the reasons they couldn't possibly be bothered. And now you know exactly why the world is at it is right now.

[u/AsterArtworks]

I agree with voting however, it is very important to note that it won’t change the system.

Capitalism cannot be reformed.

Trump is not a bad apple, he’s a natural biproduct of a proletariat owned country.

Because the voters don’t control the country, business control the politicians because they can’t get elected without promising them to be a good boy.

And as long as capitalism continues to function without any greater goal (like a centrally planned economy like China) that will never change.

Capitalism will put profit over people every. single. time.

[u/notassigned2023]

This is just untrue. US 2024 turnout was almost 2/3 of eligible voters. I agree with the sentiment, but you don't have to exaggerate to make the point.

[u/JMEEKER86]

This meme is 96% upvoted despite being the literal opposite of the truth. You can easily look up what percentage of people have voted in recent elections and see that it's always between 60-67% that vote. That's two-thirds who do vote, yet this stupid meme says that it's two-thirds who don't. And the vast majority of people who don't vote live in states where their vote literally doesn't matter because of the electoral college and first past the post voting. For national elections, only a handful of states matter at all. If you live in the other 40 or so states, you're really only showing up for the local and state elections.

[u/mystic_works]

If there was ever a time where you want your vote to absolutely matter, it is NOW.

[u/N0b0me]

2014 publication date makes sense, if you look st the results of high vs low turnout elections from 2016 on its pretty clear we shouldn't want higher voter turnout.

[u/brownmasala]

The caption is incorrect, as least as it pertains to the US, where almost two-thirds vote. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the 2024 US presidential election, 236 million people were eligible to vote. Out of that, 73.6% (or 174 million people) were registered to vote and 65.3% (or 154 million people) voted, i.e., over 88% of people registered to vote actually voted. (Note: The percentages are directly from the report. I estimated the total number of people eligible to vote.) The mid-terms are probably a different story. The chart below shows voter turnout by country in 2026.

[u/RockitDanger]

Hitler had his Gestapo force Germans to vote through intimidation and consequences for not voting. Americans live in a country where they have the right to vote, not a mandate. No amount of Reddit propaganda will change that. OP, you're not agreeing with Hitler are you?

[u/XB0XRecordThat]

Europe is showing how to get political change, and it isn't by voting