It's Your Duty to NOT Vote

"It's Your Civic Duty." "Every Vote Counts." "Vote or Die." Those are just a few of the slogans that get thrown at all of us every other year for election season. With the midterms upon us once again they're back as usual. Most of the slogan shouters really want to push us to vote a certain way. Some would be happy to just to ensure that we take the time to vote, regardless of who it's for. However all of the emphasis seems to be on the act of voting itself, with next to no emphasis put on all the preparation that should be taken first. If we are to vote we should do after having researched the candidates, looked past the hyperbole and truly drawn our own conclusion. Most of us don't take the time to do that. This is why most of us should not be voting.

This is not argument against voting in general. It would be great it all voters would do the leg work to learn about the candidates and what they stand for before they enter the voting booth. And those who do should vote proudly and with confidence. The sad reality is that many voters barely pay attention to political ads, much less go out of their way to uncover the truth behind the hyperbole. People need to become fired up not only about the act of voting itself but about the entire process. Because if the only part anybody is putting effort into is the end then all of the vital work that should be done before that renders that final act meaningless. It's like showing up for the multiple choice exam for a college class when you've skipped every lecture. The outcome will not be a good thing.

Those who choose to vote strictly along the political party lines have a very easy path on election day itself. However prior to that, during the primaries even the political loyalists have to make the call of who to support in the bid to get their party's nomination. In many ways the primaries are even more important than the election itself. Primaries are when the parties decide who will represent them and stand for their beliefs and causes. Yet so many voters barely pay attention until the big election, at best glazing over the primaries just to see who ends up on top. It's vital to take part in determining who will be the face of your political party if you're not an independent. Because that person is meant to represent your ideals and all they say and do will reflect back on those who support his or her political party.

To be clear I plan to practice what I preach. This coming election day I will be staying at home. A few months back my wife and I made the move from New York City to the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Election season was gearing up heavily by the time we moved here and I was already behind. When I got here I had no knowledge of any of the candidates or what they stood for. It might have been possible for me to catch up, however my attention got side tracked with things like finding a job and now purchasing a house (a process I'm still in the midst of.) With all the things going on in my life I have not had the time, energy or inclination to study up on the candidates in the manner I know I should. Simply put I refuse to walk into a voting booth and vote blindly without full knowledge. I would rather not vote at all.

It's not my desire to discourage people from voting, and people should not simply use ignorance of candidates as an excuse to not vote. It is my hope instead to encourage those who vote to do it with pride and knowledge. When a voter enters the voting booth they should be able to make their choices with gusto, never with a shrug. If you should find yourself in the booth on election day staring at names you've never seen and with no idea of where they stand on issues then do the right thing and just walk away. Come back next election knowing the candidates and their positions on the issues that matter to you. Then and only then should you pull that lever, press that button or punch that card.