With the upcoming presidential election now less than a year away and primary season around the corner, you’ll no doubt start hearing the pleas of several candidates who “need” your vote.
And you’ll just as likely hear independent groups, or even keenly interested individuals, urging you to exercise your right to vote. Often, they will attach an additional guilt-tripping truism to their argument, such as “You know, American soldiers gave their lives to protect your right to “turd sandwich” will win the vote to replace the school’s cow mascot.
Citizen Change is now defunct — or at least in hibernation — but its message still holds traction with people of all ages in America. But next time someone pipes up about voting in your presence, remember the position we’re in.
We’ve been given a choice in the upcoming election between an incumbent pushover president whose greatest legacy may ultimately be as a placeholder in history, and whoever survives in a Republican field where candidates are rushing to throw themselves down a flight of stairs festooned with spikes as quickly as they can — in other words, Mitt Romney.
So while parts of the race might provide value as theatrical farce, it’s unlikely to produce a president more than a few people can confidently say they voted for. But what about “letting your voice be heard,” the most ideal manifestation of democracy we all seem to crave?
Despite what some may say, skipping out on Election Day is perhaps the purest way of expressing one’s distaste with the available choices. The refrain of “If you didn’t vote, don’t complain” will still persist, but choosing not to vote expresses a stark lack of confidence with the political situation more than any other method.
To clarify, I am anything but “anti-voting.” Every issue and candidate can resonate with a person or group of people, and the decision to vote for either belongs to each individual.
If you have a cause you champion, by all means, use your limited electoral power to affect the change you want.
But trying to coerce disinterested or frustrated citizens into voting will not give us a “true” result — the results would be more akin to those of a student government election in high school, where ability to govern effectively is near the bottom on the list of considerations.
So when Nov. 6, 2012, rolls around, exercise your right to choose and don’t kowtow to the P. Diddys — P. Diddies? — of the world and their false dichotomies.
And if you choose not to vote, don’t be shy. Explain your position forcefully and contribute to the ongoing evolution of American democracy.
 
Chris Seemann is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from New Orleans. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_CSeemann.
 
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Contact Chris Seemann at [email protected]