Should I just accept that my husband won't vote?

1. 94

   peeplesposted 12 years ago

   Should I just accept that my husband won't vote?
   
   I almost never disagree with my husband. However he has the "No need to vote when they're all the same" mentality. I am really wanting him to vote or at least learn the issues because we will be moving to a new tax bracket soon and I believe he needs to inform himself about what can happen to his money. Yet every conversation leads to him not wanting to talk about it. He never has paid attention to politics. I don't care which way he votes as long as he does what he feels is best. Should I just leave the subject alone? Or continue trying to inform him?

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2. 88

   Tom Rubenoffposted 12 years ago

   If you can conduct a political argument while maintaining mutual respect, the argument has a chance of being productive. If you become disrespectful, not only does the argument go down the toilet, your marriage might just follow it. read more

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3. 59

   Kyricusposted 12 years ago

   Yes, I would just accept it. Some people are like that and unfortunately with the state of our politics today, more people are becoming turned off to voting. They just don't see the point.
   
   Also, you husband is right. The two major parties are pretty much alike. Neither wants to really stop spending, they just want to spend it on different things. Both are interested in controlling our lives, it's just how they control it that's different.
   
   I always vote, but haven't voted for a major party in a presidential election in years. To some that's throwing away my vote, but to me, if I vote my conscience it's never a throwaway. If more people would start voting how they actually feel than for who they think might be capable of winning maybe we'd get some better options.
   
   So yes, accept his not voting. In a sense, that's a vote too. Sadly.

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4. 61

   nightwork4posted 12 years ago

   i would still debate it with him but not in a way that would be considered being a pain in the butt. i personally believe everyone should vote but at the same time i understand why people feel like it is useless.

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5. 59

   glmclendonposted 12 years ago

   He should know the issues if he refuse to vote , remember he can not raise grown people. Leave him alone.
   
   Stay Well

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6. 77

   Joelipooposted 12 years ago

   Some people have no interest in politics and show complete apathy towards it.  While this is unfortunate, it is still their choice, and we are unable to force them to do something.  If he wants to forfeit his right to vote, that is his choice.  I think it's just important for him to know that if he refuses to vote and help make a difference, than he should not be complaining about anything that happens politically.

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7. 59

   Sparkleaposted 12 years ago

   Peeples, like your husband, my husband has also never paid attention to politics.
   
   My husband has never voted, and he probably never will.  I've learned I cannot change the way a person thinks or feels.  So I just leave him alone. 
   
   I didn't vote for a long time, but my conscience spoke to me about two decades ago...I felt led to honor the privilege of voting.  However I only vote every four years. 
   
   It's strange, but I personally believe if something happened that Americans were not allowed to vote, they would then get upset and WANT to vote.  It's amazing how when we are given a privilege, we disregard it, don't appreciate it or just don't care.  However, if the privilege is removed, then we all want it.  Just my views only.
   
   Blessings, Sparklea

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8. 66

   ptosisposted 12 years ago

   
   
   I used to be a rabid pro-voter, but no longer. I refuse to vote because if even write in "none of the above" on the ballot - it's not counted towards anybody but it's still counted as voted (albeit a spoiled vote).
   
   The only way to show the farce that it is - is by not voting at all, because if less than 50% of REGISTERED voters do not vote then the election is not considered legitimate. So please register to vote and then not vote at all.
   
   That is why there is compulsory voting in dictatorships that have only one choice because all governments, even dictatorships, need some form of legitimacy to justify their rule .
   
   The electoral college is from the 3/5 rule & that's why I don't vote during presidential elections - only on off year elections for local issues - that's still a real election.  There are only two split-states in the union and I believe all states should be split states.

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9. 84

   stricktlydatingposted 12 years ago

   Yes please leave the subject alone, politics just ain't his thing!  Like you said, he's never paid attention to it.  Emagine someone trying to get you involved in something you clearly had no interest in.

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10. 90

    spartucusjonesposted 12 years ago

    Because I have a similar mentality to your husband, I might not be the one to ask. But I know people where pressuring me to vote just wouldn't work. I would just get my back up. I can't speak for your husband, but I would get stubborn and defensive.
    
    Also if he was only voting to make you happy, it is possible that it wouldn't truly be an inform decision. Generally when you lack interest in something it is going to affect how you perform the task. So he might humor you to keep you off his back, but if he just doesn't have the interest it probably wouldn't be a truly informed decision.

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11. 72

    pagesvoiceposted 12 years ago

    I can only assume your husband never wore a uniform because if he did he would know first hand what personal sacrifice for the right to vote is all about. Yet, people who have never worn a uniform can sit in their comfortable living rooms, watching their flat screen TVs, flying a bunny, squirrel, or any other non patriotic flag , rather than the American flag, without feeling the kinship of blood spilled for their laziness. As an army brat and someone who was drafted for Vietnam I personally get sick to my stomach when someone says they are not going to exercise a right to vote that so many others died for.

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12. 58

    WD Curry 111posted 12 years ago

    No way! When he falls asleep, you should sew the bed sheets around him, and set him on fire!

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13. 60

    Josakposted 12 years ago

    It may be a controversial view but personally I believe fewer people should vote, why? Because if you are not interested in politics and do not care about them then in all likely hood you don't have the necessary information to make an informed vote an uninformed or ignorant vote is far more harmful than no vote at all.
    Also just look at it this way, does whether your husband vote or not have any actual real world implications for the result? The answer is no.

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14. 59

    MatthewLeo1701posted 12 years ago

    Some people just do not agree with what any of the politcians are doing on Capitol Hill. Even informed, he may not wish to even participate based on previous historic results. Politicians run on particular platform that gets them into office, and once their they work on their own personal agendas. The only promises kept are the earkmarks that the money holders hold out for.

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15. 81

    lenamarieeposted 12 years ago

    I think you should encourage him to vote but don't be over agressive.  Although personally I believe every able American should vote.

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16. 71

    Christian L Perryposted 12 years ago

    In my experiance forcing information on someone with the desire to have them react as you would like never turns out well.  It may not be that he does not pay attention it m,ay be that he doesn't feel that votes really matter anymore.  It is a fact that money makes things happen and a lot of money can make big things happen.  Unfortunatly because of this it is feazable that the vote totals could be falsified in someones favor becaus eit is in the interest of a corporation that that individual gets elected.  Of course this does run the risk of promoting a "there's nothing we can do so why try" mentality which is never good.  Either way people have the right to chose their political beliefs and practice which is one of the major foundations of our country

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17. 91

    Faceless39posted 12 years ago

    Your husband is totally correct.  The elections are rigged, and the winner is pre-determined.  The winning candidate was long since hand-picked by the powers-that-be to further their own agendas. 
    
    The idea that people have any say whatsoever is to keep us calm and our minds focused on anything and everything other than what's really happening.

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    1. 61

       sharewhatuknowposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I agree a lot with what you said-but I mainly feel this way with presidential elections.

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18. 0

    Lisa Marie Warrenposted 12 years ago

    I vote for your respecting his personal reasoning/thinking.  He's a grown up, not your kid.  Since you said you don't care which way he votes, that would seem to indicate that you don't have one particular issue on which you're hoping to get "yet one more vote".  Your only "agenda" appears to be that he actually vote.  His "agenda" is that he doesn't want to.  (lol)   He apparently feels that what's "best" is for him not to vote. 
    
    The following (or preceding) is not at all intended to sound fresh.  (I know what's intended to be taken as "friendly, light-enough, yet sincere" isn't going to come out that way  in typing); but if you and he most often agree about things, and if he's a good guy - be happy about those things and stay off his back about the voting thing. 

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19. 80

    joanwzposted 12 years ago

    I heard a judge once explain that the only two duties of all Americans that you can't get out of are taxes and jury duty. While many of us consider voting one of those priviledges that we SHOULD exercise regularly, there is certainly no obligation to vote. Historically, women and minorities had to fight to gain this priviledge, which may be why some of feel more strongly about voting.
    
    Yet, one of the great things about this country is that we have the freedom to choose so  many things, one of them being whether to vote. He may be silently voicing is choice not to vote. You can't force him to vote. What you can do is keep voting yourself standing up for what you believe in, in your own way. Perhaps, just the fact that you are voting, without any expectations for him to follow suit, is all the incentive he will need in the future. Just don't give it up this priviledge just because he seems to have given it up.

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20. 87

    krillcoposted 12 years ago

    I  have voted only once in my life, and never will again. And I'm OLD. My vote is that I do not vote. That's my statement. You can say all you want about not complaining about politics if I don't vote, but that statement defies logic. The Bill of rights gives me freedom of speech, it does not qualify that with a vote.
    
    All politicians start out meaning well, but corruption is unavoidable, it's part and parcel to the process. Even if 'elected' through the process, greed and money ruin the politician. And there is no real effort to stop this...why? Because the sytem is self serving, not public serving. Does not matter which party. If you believe for one moment that your vote 'counts' more than the LOBBY and CORPORATIONS and the RICH, yer just naive.
    
    Until all politicians are appropriated a set (same) amount of (tax) money to campaign, abolish all private campaign money, and they all have the same health care plan I have, and have to contribute to their own retirement, work a 40 hour week for what taxpayers pay them for, have term limits, and their pay is cut when taxes are raised, I won't vote.

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21. 61

    sharewhatuknowposted 11 years ago

    Oh peeples, would it be grand if I suffered your plight.
    
    Please listen to mine.
    
    My husband has never voted, and has never registered to vote.
    
    Ok, that is his right.
    
    But here it is....he gripes, complains, moans and groans and calls many politicians in office right now some very choice names.
    
    He just rants on Obama.
    
    It has gotten to the point where I ask him to please keep his political opinions to himself, or I just get up and walk out of the room, or, I just completely ignore him.
    
    And yes, I have pointed out on many occasions that if he does not like who is in office, then he needs to register to vote and then actually vote. I also point out that if he will not vote, than he has no right to gripe about the mayor, governor, senator, president, etc...
    
    As for your husband and to answer your question peeples, I would leave him alone about the issue of voting, as long as he isn't driving you crazy about who is in office.

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22. 94

    peeplesposted 11 years ago

    I am proud to announce my husband voted today. Many of his votes were for people I would have never voted for but that is OK! HE VOTED! And he didn't just vote he actually learned about the person/people he voted for. I am very happy for him and proud that he took a step even if his votes won't count for much. Thanks for the answers. I will not pick a best answer because there was too many great answers!

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