Dear Non-Voters,
You’re hearing it everywhere: “Get out and vote! It’s your right as a citizen of the United States.” But this year, you may not want to. And you know what? That’s OK.
It doesn’t matter if this is the first election you’re eligible to vote in, or the thirtieth––you are making the decision not to vote. Although many people have encouraged or even pressured you to exercise this right, it’s also your right to choose whether or not you want to vote.
This is a weird election. For many, it’s difficult to support either candidate entirely. It could be that you are so scared of this election that you don’t even want to think about it.
For some of you who are recently eligible, maybe politics just aren’t your thing. You may not be interested in government, not know a lot about politics and are afraid of making a mistake. Possibly, you know a ton about politics, and that’s why none of this is working for you. Which is all understandable.
A lot of political decisions we end up making are based on our parents––and maybe your parents aren’t voting this election. You may have discussions with your parents and your family and discover that your perspective lines up with theirs. Or perhaps your parents are voting, but you disagree with both of them.
It’s like watching two people get in an argument. Some people take sides, and others stay out of it. These arguments, like who should be president, can get rather heated and some people may try to pressure the more neutral people to pick a side. But stand your ground. If you don’t vote this year, your decision should still be respected.
You might feel a pang of guilt, remembering the suffragettes and their bravery fighting for the 19th Amendment. You may feel sad, knowing your voice cannot be heard. But you have your reasons, whatever they are. And that is reason enough.
I’m sure people annoy you with their persuasion techniques, bothering you with: “you should vote,” or “make your voice heard,” or “all feminists should vote.” However, it’s just as much of a choice to not vote as it is to vote, and anyone who wants to stay out of it can make that decision.
Not voting doesn’t mean you don’t care about current events, or that you don’t care about activism or equality. It doesn’t determine intelligence or success. It just means that you chose to stay out of politics, at least for this election. I respect and support you.