A Voter’s Dilemma

Recognizing systemic failure rather than shaming alienated nonvoters

By Marley Richmond and Jemma Keleher

Voting is often hailed as the pinnacle of civic engagement, and in an election like this one, there is no mistaking the drastically different futures riding on the next elected president. Yet while voting can be a powerful tool of democracy, an emphasis on voting as the sole form of political action is misguided and can alienate individuals who don’t feel represented in the current political system. Instead of shaming those who choose not to vote, one must recognize that voting is not the only way to make one’s political opinions heard—in fact, it might not even be the most effective. This article should not be construed as an argument against voting; rather, it is a critical look at the practice of voting and its role in political engagement. 

Regardless of if—or for whom—one is voting, it is easy to question the impact of a single ballot. Between the almost incomprehensibly large number of ballots cast, complicated electoral districts, historical voting tendencies of given areas, and disregard for the results of the popular vote, the American electoral system is alienating to many. 

“It’s a mistake to think you’re exercising political power [by voting]. What you’re doing is registering a preference,” said August Nimtz, a political science professor at the University of Minnesota. Nimtz was clear that a vote does not directly impose one’s will upon the political system as many believe it does. Nimtz also argued that the action of voting is the opposite of most meaningful political action: it is one taken alone, and is often over in a matter of minutes. Real political change stems from sustained collective action.

Lack of Representation

Both of the major party presidential candidates have harmed people of color with their words and actions. Earlier this year, Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, stated matter-of-factly, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black.” Donald Trump, while he has stated that he has a “great relationship with the Blacks,” consistently uses his position of power to undermine the rights of such communities.

“Electoral politics has continued to fail marginalized groups,” said Bri Sislo-Schutta, Director of Governmental and Legislative Affairs for the Minnesota Student Association. Sislo-Schutta recognized that the system has not provided justification for everyone's participation. When potential voters are faced with a choice between two parties that have wronged communities with which they identify, the most logical route may be to abstain from voting altogether, rather than participate in one’s own oppression. 

Furthermore, lack of participation by people of color in electoral politics is often by design. While the Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibited overt race-based disenfranchisement, the practice of racially targeted voter suppression has persisted. Voting restrictions often masquerade as neutral attempts at voter security yet in reality disproportionately bar racial minorities from voting. For example, in 2018, about 80% of people who were blocked from voting by Georgia’s “exact match” law, which required that voters’ names on registration records perfectly match that on a government-issued ID, were people of color. 

Progressive Voters: Where Do They Belong?

Although both candidates may be flawed, or even harmful to their constituents and the country, there is a pressure on liberal voters to “vote blue, no matter who.” This sentiment ignores the problems of the Democratic Party and assumes the support of more progressive voters while excluding their viewpoints from the campaign.

In the first presidential debate, Trump accused the Democratic Party of adopting “socialist” policies, many of which liberal voters support, but Biden quickly denied that. “The party is me. Right now, I am the Democratic Party.” As the Democratic Party leans towards the center in an attempt to sway moderate Republicans away from Trump, leftist voters are increasingly deprived of an opportunity to push for further progressive change from inside the electoral arena. 

There is a clear reason why many working class Americans feel left out of the current political system. “The United States is the only advanced capitalist country where the working class does not have its own political party,” said Nimtz. Yet voting for a third party is rarely seen as a valid option.

By continuing to assert that a third party vote is essentially equivalent to a vote for Trump, political media coverage limits opportunities for citizens to register their preference as someone other than Donald Trump or Joe Biden. This emphasis on “settling” in turn suppresses the proliferation of third parties that represent different interests. But while a third-party vote signals dissatisfaction with the current two-party system, it is also one less vote for the candidate who will not continue to degrade American democracy.

The Pressure to Cast a Ballot

The outcome of the 2020 presidential election means the difference between leaving the Paris Climate Agreement or committing to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. It is the difference between America remaining in the World Health Organization or not, let alone maintaining the Affordable Care Act. At such a pivotal juncture, it is easy to place unquestioning blame on those who choose not to vote.

Today, influencers have taken on some of the responsibility in getting out the vote. Vloggers, TikTok stars, and even “Animal Crossing” characters are pushing for a higher voter turnout. Social media has become a place where many folks are using peer pressure and guilt to encourage their friends to register and vote.

But guilting eligible voters into voting is not the affirmation of civic duties that many think it is. This perspective fails to recognize problems in the political system that alienate voters. Neither party offers much promise to those who cannot afford the ever-skyrocketing prices of medication or who fear for their futures with climate change. People of color are increasingly the target of hate crimes, which are often met with a blind eye from Washington. We must shift the misplaced rhetoric of blame from individuals to the institutions that are failing all but the most privileged in our society. 

Political Change Outside of Voting

Rather than pouring money into the political campaigns of national-scale politicians, some activists call for contributions to local mutual aid and bail funds, providing direct, tangible support for those in need. Sislo-Schutta said, “Marginalized communities, and groups that have been historically oppressed and excluded from systems of electoral politics, have continued to do community care and mutual aid in their communities. And so that work has existed, and it will continue to exist.”

Mass mobilization in the streets is a proven and effective way of exercising political power, as well as an opportunity to advocate for changes to the system from the outside. Nimtz pointed to the George Floyd protests over the summer as an effective example of political engagement outside the electoral arena. He attested that because there were protests, there were indictments. 

Voting is an opportunity to become complacent, one which we must not allow to lull voters into the false belief that their work is complete. While the importance of a vote should not be undermined, it also should not be perceived as the only—or strongest—means of political engagement. Rather than placing blame upon non-voting individuals alienated by the United States’ political reality, pressure must instead be applied to the political system to serve those it represents. Real change takes time and community effort, and those things—no matter who wins the election—will always be tools available to us.