“My vote does not matter.” This sentiment is often present in political discourse, especially as we approach the presidential election. It’s a phrase I heard my own boyfriend say on the phone the other day.
If you feel the same way about voting as my boyfriend, you are part of the 16% of Americans who believe their votes will not impact the election. About 67% of eligible voters in the last election voted, meaning just under a third did not, amounting to about 80 million eligible citizens who either intentionally chose to abstain, were unable to get time off from work, or couldn’t find a way to make it to the polls.
I can relate to many citizens’ frustrations with the government and the political climate, but I find it challenging to understand their mindset behind abstaining from voting. When my boyfriend said he wouldn’t be voting this year because his vote doesn’t matter, it was no surprise that I was frustrated; however, my reaction was angrier than I anticipated, which made me wonder why.
My parents never encouraged me to follow politics or read the news, especially not left-leaning publications. A typical conversation about my journalism major with family members usually goes like this: “So, your major is journalism? Well, I hope you don’t report fake news.” I am sure most of my family members who support former President Donald Trump would prefer I not vote at all.
Despite this, I became interested in politics at the age of 11, thanks to one man still on the ticket almost a decade later: Trump. Although many people argue being politically motivated as a young child is useless because you cannot vote, I did not see it that way. I heard what Trump said on the news about immigrants crossing the border, the vulgar comments he made about women, and the racist stereotypes he perpetuated about people of color, and I was appalled. Who would vote for this guy? Unfortunately, as time went on, I found out that a lot of people—many of them from my hometown and those closest to me—supported him, and he won the 2016 presidential election.
And so, while other kids worried about their hallway crush or whether they would make the varsity sports team, I worried about whether Trump would become president—a fear shared by many Americans that has lingered for nine agonizing years. Even now, four years after his first term ended, I often stay up late on the phone with my mother—177 miles away—lamenting the possibility of another Trump presidency. As Nov. 5 drew closer, there was no doubt in my mind that I would vote in the upcoming presidential election and who I would vote for.
So you can imagine my discontent last week when my boyfriend said, “Why would I vote? My vote doesn’t matter.” It was surprising to hear this from someone attending college for a math and science degree, especially since, in my mind, the math behind voting is simple: your vote contributes to all the other ballots. However, nonvoters’ reasons for not participating are far more complex.
According to a Medill School of Journalism/Ipsos/NPR poll focused on the reasons eligible voters did not cast a ballot in the last election, 53% of nonvoters said, “It makes no difference who is elected president—things go on just as they did before.” This belief reflects many voters’ concerns about politicians who lie to get into office and fail to fulfill their campaign promises. For instance, during his presidency, Trump was unable to live up to his promise to build a wall along the southern border and to have Mexico pay for it. Similarly, Biden abandoned his commitment to reduce America’s reliance on crude oil by approving the Willow Project in 2023. As past presidents fail to make noticeable changes, these voters lose hope that any politician can make a real difference.
The study also cited obvious factors keeping citizens from voting, such as a general lack of interest and dislike of politics or candidates. Compared with voters, 41% of nonvoters never discuss politics with family members, and 53% never discuss it with friends. 21% of nonvoters also said they do not interact with news sources daily on their television, computers, or mobile devices. These apathetic mindsets and distrust for politicians’ ability to make change create a circular mindset. If you have no confidence in political change and avoid interacting with media that cover the president’s achievement, whether minuscule or not, then you naturally will continue to believe presidential nominees are incapable of enforcing new policies.
The nonvoters who do follow the news are likely among the 63% of Americans who express dissatisfaction with the voting system, specifically the Electoral College. They argue that America should abolish the Electoral College and elect presidents by popular vote. While only five presidents have won the election via the Electoral College without winning the popular vote—one of whom was former President Trump in the 2016 election—these voters believe their votes do not count if a few swing states ultimately decide the election. However, many people, myself included, argue this is the wrong way to view the voting process. Most states, except two—Nebraska and Maine—award their electoral votes to whichever candidate receives the popular vote for that state. Winning and losing these states can come down to a few hundred to a few thousand votes, meaning if you are an undecided voter, your vote could significantly make a difference in this year’s coin-toss election.
American’s dissatisfaction with the Electoral College mirrors a growing frustration among the electorate. According to a recent Time magazine article, the American electorate has become increasingly hostile rather than polarized. The article discusses that if the electorate were merely polarized, then there would be an equal number of voters supporting each candidate. Instead, more people strongly dislike one or both candidates and are more critical of those who vote differently from them and those who do not vote at all. As a result, more people will choose to abstain from voting, support third-party candidates, or choose between the “lesser of two evils.”
When citizens start voting against or out of fear of a candidate, it creates tension between voters and nonvoters. With the stark discrepancies between each candidate’s policies on topics including immigration, foreign affairs, and abortion rights, the stakes in the election can feel personal to many voters. As recent ABC News/Ipsos polls show Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump in essentially statistical ties, the presidency of voters’ unfavorable candidate feels more palpable. Suddenly, whether or not someone utilizes their right to vote and who they vote for feels personal.
And so, while it is easy to feel that a single vote will not affect this week’s election and that the battleground states will determine who the president is, nonvoter turnout can dramatically affect an election in such times. It is hard to realize the significance of individual votes because many voters will cancel each other out, as intended voters end up abstaining or vice versa. However, when we consider that 10–15% of voters make up or change their minds on election day, these collective shifts can bring about unexpected outcomes that polls do not predict. This is especially true in this election when Trump reportedly has a 19-point lead over Harris with eligible voters with no voting record. Millions of these citizens will undoubtedly vote, but just how many of them will turn out and who they will vote for will decide the outcome of this election. So, whether you dislike the Electoral College or the candidates, the best way to highlight the discrepancies between the popular and electoral votes and express dissatisfaction with the candidates is to continue voting to have your voice heard.
