There is really no valid excuse for not voting. From the time of the Declaration of Independence down to today, many have died defending our right to vote. It is a privilege we should cherish and avail ourselves of at every opportunity. We know that there are times when it seems as though it is useless. It appears it does not matter which party is in power, nothing really gets done. And often times what does get done does not seem to benefit but a few.
We need to change that and we can. The more of us that are active in the political process, speaking our mind and doing everything to ensure our vote is heard, the more politicians will have to turn to us to assure their continued presence in our capitols. If we continue to use these excuses, they will only listen to those who pay for their campaigns and those who are in front of them constantly, the lobbyists. Let’s not permit this to continue. Get out to vote, get out to make a difference, to make things better for us and for our children and grandchildren.
Which of the above do you consider a valid excuse? If you didn’t vote in the last election which excuse did you have? If you are not going to vote in the next election which excuse will you use?
Below is data from the 2012 election. It is significant to note the fourth reason in 2012 is now the number one reason in 2016.
| Too busy, conflicting schedule | 17.5% |
| Illness or disability | 14.9% |
| Not interested | 13.4% |
| Did not like candidates or campaign issues | 12.9% |
| Other | 11.3% |
| Out of town | 8.8% |
| Don’t know | 7.0% |
| Registration issues | 6.0% |
| Inconvenient polling place | 2.7% |
| Transportation problems | 2.6% |
| Forgot | 2.6% |
| Bad weather | 0.2% |
