Should a person who does not pay attention to the issues or the candidates still vote?

Question

I saw a study that bothered me and I want your take on the subject. If you are not an educated voter, should you still vote. Dems and Reps try to offer and entice people to vote with various incentives (free this and that), but I feel that if you are not making an educated decision, you should abstain just as you would with any other subject. That is my opinion, I am curious how other's feel about it. What if your candidate loses by a few votes and you found out that a group was voting because they were offered something. I think it taints the whole election process.

Answer 1

Interesting question. Although voting is a right that should be enjoyed by every American citizen, it is also a responsibility. In it's purest sense, voting carries with it a responsibility of the voting public to make decisions based on what the consensus believes to be in the best interest of society as a whole, rather than voting for who is most popular or whatever issue ensures the most benefits for the individual voter. This might mean that you vote yourself higher taxes in order to improve road conditions or education, or it might mean you elect someone you don't personally like, who might be ugly, annoying, brash, or smell bad but whose policies would benefit the region more than any other.

People who vote without understanding the issues can actually harm everyone else by voting for candidates or issues that might not be in the best interests of the populace. If you don't know who you're voting for -- what they stand for, what they promise to accomplish, what kind of record they have -- you don't know if you're even voting for someone who is qualified for the job. If you don't have any understanding of the issues behind a referendum on the ballot, you might vote for something ultimately harmful, or vote down something that might have done someone some good. It's my belief that you shouldn't vote unless you go to the minimal effort of at least reading the voter's pamphlet to get the bare basics of the pros and cons of each decision. Everyone who is eligible to vote should definitely get out and vote, but only after each person has done the homework necessary to make an educated, INFORMED choice.

Answer 2

I wish that those who were uneducated on the issues and the candidates themselves would refrain from voting, but unfortunately that's the flaw of our system. And yes, uninformed voters do taint the election process as some people vote for the candidate who claims to be of their particular religion, or even the candidate who is better looking.

The sad truth is that somewhere along the line we seem to have taken our right to vote for granted. A lot of people (at least in my own community) seem to be disinterested in politics altogether, yet they feel they have to right to complain about underfunded schools and corrupt judges. It's really a sad state, especially considering it's often that if every person who whined and groaned payed a bit of attention in the months before november, we'd have a much better education system that wouldn't have to cut art and after school programs.

You can't refuse uninformed voters or force the unwilling to take part in their communities. That's just not how the process works. The best any one person can do is try to inform and motivate those around them and hope for the best.

Answer 3

There is a reason to look and listen to some of the materials on candidates, and to watch the debates to see how they posture or not. You need to vote, everything that this government does that pisses you off and effects you is because of your vote. Have a say how you get screwed, and hope that you don't get screwed in the end. And your next vote? Will be better than the one before.

Answer 4

That is a big problem with elections. It becomes more like voting for king and queen at the homecoming dance than it is for public office. People should educate themselves on the issues, and where each candidate stands on those issues.

But, (unfortunately) we can't deny them the right to vote because they are ignorant.

Answer 5

I think people should only vote, if they actually know stuff about the people running. Having people vote because they can win something for voting does not help who we have run areas of our country or our country at all. By just having people vote for that causes us to have a bad leader, we want someone that will actually be good for our country not someone people choose cause no matter what they get some kind of prize out of it.

Answer 6

It takes a special brand of gall to say that more participation taints the democratic process. Everyone who pays taxes and is a citizen should vote and be HELPED if they have trouble. All our freedom comes from voting, taking it away from ANY CITIZEN is radical, unamerican, and in my opinion, just plain Evil.

Answer 7

Since we all get only 2 choices, those people can only be wrong 50% of the time. A random guess would be just as good.

Answer 8

both paties will keep arguments going that can never be resolved.
The most important one is our security. I say that because I work in the middle east and southern Russia and laugh along with arabs who listen to our media who is dragging us all down the road to death and destruction...by the nose.

Answer 9

I agree totally. Unfortunately the uninformed voters will be the last ones to admit they are uninformed.

Answer 10

Most people that vote Republican are doing so from being uneducated to what the facts are.