Why do some people choose not to vote?

Question

Each election in the United States is accompanied by a lot of consternation about people who do not vote. For example, bumper stickers saying “I voted, don’t blame me” show up regularly. Using economics, explain why some people choose not to vote

I'm 25 & the 1st time I voted was this past November.

Answer 1

because they believe there vote will not count.

Answer 2

People believe that their vote doesn't count and so they leave the decision making up to the rest of the country. Problem is, is that a whole bunch of people feel that way and sooner or later, they'll be a very big minority. However, another reason why people won't vote is that they don't like the candidates or they don't really care about the issue being voted on. I.e. this upcoming election, probably not many people will vote for a woman president (especially someone like Hillary) and us Republicans are still looking for a candidate. There's just not that many good candidates out there, so people see that and they won't vote.

Answer 3

For presidential elections-
1) Partly because there is little difference between candidates. They are almost always Yale Law or Yale Business school grads. I don't know why Yale has such a lock on presidential politics but I suspect some kind of conspiracy.
2) Purely rational reaction to the Electoral College. I am not necessarily in favor of abolishing it, but there are real reasons why it suppresses the vote. If I live in Maryland or Massachusetts (on the D side) or Texas or Utah (on the R) there is no reason for me to vote. The electoral votes for the state are guaranteed to go to the Democratic or Republican candidate respectively. The only reason to vote is if the margin in my particular state is going to be close, the overall margin is irrelevant. That is also why candidates focus on "swing states." There is no reason for either candidate to campaign in a solid blue or red state, it would just waste time and money.

Answer 4

People don't vote because the candidates don't support their own views.

For example, myself, I didn't support either John Kerry or GWB because I think both of them would make horrible presidents. I can't stand Bush, I couldn't stand him since 2000, but that doesn't mean that I'll vote for Kerry just because Bush is worse. I'm sorry, but I vote for the candidate because I like the candidate, not because I DON'T like their opponent. And in 2004 I didn't like either of the two so I passed.

I hope this isn't the case in 2008.

Answer 5

People don't vote for several reasons. They don't like who is running, they think thier vote doesn't count, they can't get to the poles, and some of them are just too d**m lazy.

Answer 6

What is the point of voting when all candidates obtain their funding from the same group?

Answer 7

Because it is your constitutional right to vote, or not to vote. Would you rather you were forced to vote?

Do you vote?

Any way, until the fraudulent behaviour that is committed by the US government is iradicated, your vote may or may not count.

Answer 8

because i think they have been disapointed so long with our elected officials that they dont feel there vote will count

Answer 9

When both candidates say the same thing, why bother?

Answer 10

many humans are conditioned into believing that their oppinion doesnt matter.....and also they see all of the fraud invovlved in the process.