voting

I was at a farmer’s market recently handing out information about an upcoming election in my state.

A man passed by and I asked if he knew about the various issues at hand. He threw up his hands and smiled.

“I stopped voting when I was 63,” he said. “I’m 83 now and feeling fine.”

I appreciated the brief exchange, because I’ve always wondered why people don’t vote and he gave me a very good reason: his strategy protects his mental health to an apparently significant degree.

While his tactic would do the opposite for me by increasing my stress — that my lack of involvement and those of others, deterred a better outcome — the exchange encouraged me to take a closer look at why people don’t vote.

The Reasons People Don’t Vote

For some, not voting is a deeply personal decision. For others, it’s the product of barriers built into the system.

Disillusionment and cynicism: Many Americans believe politicians are out of touch, or that no matter who wins, ordinary people won’t see real change. When elections feel like a choice between the lesser of two evils, abstaining can seem like the only way to send a message.
Mental health and stress: Like the man I met, some find political engagement emotionally exhausting. Following the news cycle can feel like living in a perpetual argument. Not voting becomes a way to reclaim peace of mind.
Practical barriers: Voting isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Long lines, strict voter ID requirements, limited polling places in certain communities, and complicated registration rules make the process discouraging.
Scheduling conflicts: Because Election Day is not a national holiday, people working multiple jobs or caring for children and elders may find it nearly impossible to get to the polls.
Lack of information: Ballots often contain not just the presidential or congressional races we hear about, but long lists of local offices, judges, and ballot initiatives. Without accessible information, many voters feel unprepared and simply stay home.
Alienation: For younger voters, new citizens, or people with past felony convictions, the system can feel unwelcoming. If you don’t believe the political process was designed for you, why would you participate?

Why Votes Often Don’t Seem to Count

Even among those who do vote, there’s a widespread feeling that individual ballots carry little weight for the following reasons:

The Electoral College

In presidential elections, most states allocate their electoral votes on a winner-take-all basis. That means millions of votes in the minority column don’t affect the outcome.

Gerrymandering

When politicians draw district maps to favor their party, many races are decided before voters cast a single ballot. In heavily “safe” districts, results are predictable and competition vanishes. (See my post “Gerrymandering: Where All Americans Lose.”)

Safe states and districts

Beyond gerrymandering, the natural political tilt of states like California or Alabama ensures that one party dominates, leaving minority party voters with little sense of influence.

Two-party dominance

Alternative parties rarely stand a chance in winner-take-all elections, forcing many voters into a binary choice that doesn’t reflect the range of public opinion.

Money in politics

Thanks to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in 2010, campaigns fueled by wealthy donors and special interests reinforce the belief that politics is a pay-to-play game, drowning out the voices of everyday citizens.

All of the above reasons are legitimate concerns, according to “Report: Most Americans’ Votes Don’t Matter In Deciding Elections,” by Ross Sherman (April 24, 2025, Unite America Institute), which introduces a “meaningful vote” metric.

In 2024, researchers at the Unite America Institute estimate that in U.S. House races, only 14 % of eligible voters cast a vote that actually influenced the outcome (in a competitive race).
Across state house races, the figure is about 13 %.
Many races are essentially predetermined or uncontested. For example, in many districts, the outcome is decided in the primary (if competitive) or only one party is going to win.
Sherman notes that in “nearly 90 % of U.S. House and state house races” in 2024 were uncompetitive, which means the general election outcome is already foregone, and only a small subset of voters in the competitive race are meaningfully decisive.
In 64 % of state house races, they found zero meaningful votes—i.e., neither the primary nor the general election had competition, so no single ballot could have changed the result. uniteamerica.org
They also show that in many cases, primary elections matter more in safe districts than general elections do.
So the Sherman report supports the idea that large swaths of votes, while legally counted, did not affect the outcome. That gives empirical weight to the claim that many ballots—despite being cast—aren’t “meaningful” in deciding winners.

What Would Inspire Greater Turnout

If we want more people to vote, the system has to meet people where they are and give them a reason to believe their voice matters. Here are some ways that could happen:

Make voting easier: Automatic voter registration, same-day registration, expanded early voting, and universal vote-by-mail would help ensure that the act of voting is no harder than paying a bill or ordering groceries online.
Making Election Day a national holiday would signal that voting is a civic priority, not an inconvenience squeezed into a workday.
Independent redistricting, or “redistricting commissions”: Taking redistricting power away from partisan legislatures and handing it to impartial commissions, as some states have done, could restore fairness and competitiveness to elections.
Ranked-choice voting: By allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference, this system reduces the fear of “wasting” a vote and opens space for more diverse candidates and parties.
Civic education: Schools, libraries, and community organizations can play a role in teaching citizens how elections work and why they matter. Voters armed with information are less likely to stay home out of confusion or intimidation.
Campaign finance reform: Curbing the influence of big money in politics could restore trust that ordinary voices matter.
Community-based outreach: People are more likely to vote when asked by someone they trust. Grassroots efforts, from neighborhood associations to local churches, can frame voting as a shared responsibility.
A culture shift: In some countries, voting feels like a civic celebration — a moment of pride and participation. If we could build a culture where voting is seen not as a burdensome chore but as a shared act of agency, turnout would likely follow.

Low voter turnout isn’t the result of apathy alone. It’s a mix of frustration, alienation, and very real barriers. But each ballot represents a chance, however small, to tilt the system toward a fairer outcome. The man at the market might be protecting his own peace by abstaining, and I respect that.

For me, though, voting is the opposite — it’s how I protect my peace of mind. Because not voting may feel fine in the short run, but in the long run, it guarantees that others will keep making the decisions for us.

Vigilant Positivity

Martha's Political Discussion Blog

Why People Don’t Vote