Q&A: Pros & Cons of Not Voting as Political Protest

Posted on by DeniseMpls

Reprinted from Anti-Racism Daily Study Hall post from August 2024.
QUESTION:
I’ve been hesitant to engage politically over the past few years. I don’t think that either party truly has our best interests at heart. Third-party candidates have never reflected my values either. And, they never have enough support to be taken seriously. I want to “not vote” as a form of political protest. But that means I take a vote away from Harris – and I want to see a Black and Asian woman become president. How do you recommend me navigate this?
RESPONSE:
Whether you choose to vote or not, little change can be made politically by simply sitting out. If you do choose not to vote, make that stance known to your peers, your colleagues, and your local, state and federal elected officials. Without that clarity, that act of protest won’t be heard.

Remember that political parties hope that the people they love will support them, and the people that don’t won’t make it to the polls. Don’t let your frustration be received as apathy and marked as a win on the opposing candidate’s checklist.
Personally, I (Nicole Cardoza) feel that the most important thing in this election is ensuring that the Republican party doesn’t get another four years. I understand that neither party has gotten it right, and our democratic system deserves an overhaul.

I also know that these political parties have drastically different policies and will comprehensively change life immediately for marginalized communities in the U.S. once elected. I’m invested in harm reduction, voting for the candidate that has more tolerable politics and is more likely to create a sociopolitical container more agreeable to comprehensive change.
I want to highlight something that Dominique wrote in response to a similar question last fall:
“I’d like to pull one word from your question that caught my eye: unwavering. Democrat candidates and elected officials have received our unwavering support across local, state, and presidential elections for quite some time, often just because they’re blue. The same is probably true for Republican or Independent voters.

Still, no politician or government should have our unwavering support and allegiance, regardless of our shared party affiliation. We should want more from our elected officials, whether we voted for them or their opponents. We deserve more than lip service and empty campaign promises and threats that things will be worse with the other party. Democrats have been able to coast by with that last statement for way too long, just to carry out the same policies they condemned the other party for or try to appease us with smaller wins.

If we were truly the democracy we pride ourselves to be, we wouldn’t be watching our elected officials use our tax money to fund the indiscriminate bombing and ethnic cleansing of a people after being told there’s no money for healthcare for all, student debt relief, etc., but especially when the majority of the populace demands a ceasefire.
Our elected officials should always lean towards what is right and just and listen to the needs and demands of their constituents, not just leading up to an election or during polling. If not, they do not deserve our support, only our dissent and anger.” 
RESOURCES:
– Fight misinformation and disinformation as you discuss the campaign with your friends, family, and colleagues. PolitiFact regularly publishes fact-checking information after rallies and events that presidential candidates attend.

– Is this your first time participating in an election? Read Voting 101 to understand your eligibility to vote and how elections work.