Do you think it's right to complain if you didn't vote?

How do you vote then? Online?

 

Not voting is nothing to be proud of, but it doesn't preclude you from expressing your thoughts openly and freely

 

There's nothing in the constitution that says you NEED to vote, you simply HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE. I exercise my right to NOT vote. As someone stated years ago when this thread was started, I pay my taxes and have the right to complain even if I dont vote.

 

kind of depends on the reason you didn't vote.
a surprising number of people don't have nearly the opportunity to do so, as in principal it might otherwise appear that they do.

 

Anyone can complain + I can totally understand why many people don't vote....so yeah!

 

its called black box voting.

the machines are in voting booths, just like as if it were a paper ballot,
and the machines print a paper ballot as you vote,

but the ones here in nevada, they have a touch screen,
and you get a pencil with an eraser at both ends, to tap the screen with to mark your ballot.

there's a whole lot wrong with this process, and not all states, most states even don't, allow or have it.
you can't actually touch the paper, or even get a copy of it for your own, to be able to legally contest if it flips your vote.

its like you don't even really know if your vote is actually being counted,
or counted the way you voted it.
its deliberately there's no way of doing so.

(naturally its mostly 'conservative' oriented states that have this)

 

I think the system is broken.
Even if the ideal candidate won;
Our current state of government won't allow for the type of changes demanded.
So even if Bernie Sanders won, and wanted legalize weed, give out national healthcare, end war.... The current system of government wouldn't allow got it.
(Not that I have a better idea, I admit)
So to vote, to me, is to acknowledge, participate in a broken system.
And I don't approve of the broken system.
Voting at least in it's current state is like picking the colors of your shackles.

 

If you don't vote for corporate crony #1 you can't complain about corporate crony #2.

 

I vote libertarian to piss them all off.

What sucks is I can't watch CNN or Fox without major irritation.

 

so? why would you even want to watch cnn or fox?

 

ABSOLUTELY NOT.
Those who don't vote are lazy individuals that don't deserve to have one political opinion and should keep their mouths shut because they're acting like little children. People gave their lives to institute a democratic regime with universal suffrage. It is a MAJOR POLITICAL CONQUEST and if you don't like/understand it relocate to saudi shithole arabia or north korea, then see how things roll where no one can vote.
You had a chance to have your say, but you didn't say a word because hauling ass to the voting booth was too much of a hassle. Keep being silent now, don't bother grownups with your nonsense about rigged elections. The only ones who have the right to raise hell in the case that an election was stolen are those who bothered to vote in the first place. How can that be your business if you showed contempt for it ? Those who say nothing are those who have nothing to say nor an idea of what they are talking about but still have the nerve to disguise laziness and irresponsibility with some kind of nihilistic attitude. But it is just an excuse.
I already purged this post (in two passes) from all the insults from my first draft. I tried hard not to be too harsh, if that's not enough, that's as much as i can do. But this nonsense really riles me up.

 

Gee, hans, why don't you tell us how you really feel?

 

Within a democracy structure of voting to elect a representative one has to engage.
To moan about/complain when things do not go as one would hope when one doesn't participate points to (given that they choose not to - and are not prevented from doing so) then it would seem the answer is No - however, …..
one has to factor in at least three things:-
* If any of the candidates deserving of support? - If not, then why would one endorse them?
* If one does not support the system (first past the post, or proportional representation) used to define a winner
* If one is at odds with the contradictory thoughts and ways of the Candidate's philosophy v, 'the Party line'
If one is not 'in it', then one will not 'win it', but if it is that one does not go along with the system of Government that they live in/under, then there is a simple choice to make:-
Either,
Leave the area/country to find one where one finds another mode of electoral system, 'Royal' rule/Dictatorship or Religious lead more attuned to their taste - or,
Make a case to Change, and through considered/measured muse, champion that cause.
To do Nothing however is a waste of time - One has to have Conviction and Conscience (rightly or wrongly) in order to have credibility of actions - IMO

 

I think you still do have a right to complain or say your piece. In a lot of cases, people choose not to vote out of an act of no confidence. I'm sort of entering that boat right now. I think the political system needs an overhaul or many a return back to its foundation a little more. I stand by the idea that people should always have the right to voice their grievances however they want. All ideas should be open to debate and let the best ideas triumph.

 

Our glorious leader cut the mass media a deal on their rent, and the Neo-Nazis are suing facebook and anybody else they don't like, claiming they are biased. Fox News is legally entertainment and can't be sued for spouting even vicious lies. Your right to say whatever you want is being drowned out and suppressed to the point where fake news is considered a problem, and academics are lobbying congress to censor the entire internet. The billionaire mayor of NYC arrested 26 reporters in one day, only to get a slap on the wrist.

But you are free to tell yourself you are free.

 

I agree wholeheartly. But the added consequence is people also have more reason to ignore you because you complain about something you chose not to participate in. You threw your vote away.

 

Since the people in charge with this political system benefit from keeping it how will not voting cause that much needed change in this political system? These people are laughing at those folks not voting out of no confidence. Suits them fine.

 

But if your choices aren't worth a damn- if both candidates are complete garbage and equally suck, why should one feel pressured to pick one, regardless? If neither one is worthy of your vote, why do you still need to vote? I'm not on board with what the rest of society thinks I should do, I do my own thing.

 

How do you think proper functioning democracies came into existence? Citizens organised and made use of whatever option was available in the system of the time, even though it seemed rather hopeless.
If every apathic voter in America who actually craves a better functioning system would organize, make an effort and use their vote they could make the change in like several decades max.

Lots of people say this and if they're really ok with the system remaining the same I would say ok fine.

 

If you walked in my shoes, seen what I seen, live where I lived in the US, you might understand where I'm coming from. Proper functioning democracies? Tell me where on earth that's actually happening? What country, on this globe, is the idea model of a "proper functioning democracy?" And does the entire population of that country, regardless of race or status, actually benefit from this "proper functioning democracy?"