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Today I gave anyone in my company that wanted to vote the ability to miss PT as long as they gave me the "I voted" sticker they hand out once a ballot is cast. Not a single Soldier took me up on this offer. Approximately 80% of my company are residents of Tennessee so being away from their polling station does not apply. When talking to the ones that aren't residents of Tennessee all of them told me they didn't mail in a ballot for one reason or another. Why do you think Soldiers, Warrant Officers, and Commissioned Officers chose not to vote? This is a right they are willing to lay down their lives for through their military service however they chose not to.
Voting
Politics
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 16
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SGM (Join to see) The only thing that I can think of is that many feel that their votes don't matter.
I would argue that with this many positions up for grabs, this election cycle is crucial.
And, I agree with SFC Mark Merino if you don't vote, I don't want to hear anything, not a word. You may not get what you want out of the elections, but at least you got to say something.
I would argue that with this many positions up for grabs, this election cycle is crucial.
And, I agree with SFC Mark Merino if you don't vote, I don't want to hear anything, not a word. You may not get what you want out of the elections, but at least you got to say something.
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Great thread Top. If you don't does not vote, then you are un-officially not allowed to complain....lol
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MSG (Join to see)
I use to vote every time for almost 20 years, I use to say the same thing. I was so proud that I participated in voting for turd #1 over turd#2. One day I realized I would be equally unhappy with any of the above choices. So I no longer waste my time and don't even complain or bitch. Not Apathetic, just a realist. Our political cycle is just a repeat of animal farm and so I just go through life being the Ass and try to act astounded when what was old is new again.
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SGM (Join to see), this is troubling "news." I'm not surprised though, because so many Americans decide not to vote. I guess they can't be bothered. I posted elsewhere on RallyPoint that 40 to 50 percent turnout in a non-presidential election is considered a very good turnout. In a presidential year, 50 to 60 percent is considered good.
I guess people assume their one vote doesn't count for much, but - as you so rightly point out - we (active duty Soldiers, anyhow) put our lives on the line based on the decisions our elected officials make.
It's very disappointing to hear this, but not surprising. Check out the chart in this article. It's pitiful, really.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/07/24/voter-turnout-always-drops-off-for-midterm-elections-but-why/
I guess people assume their one vote doesn't count for much, but - as you so rightly point out - we (active duty Soldiers, anyhow) put our lives on the line based on the decisions our elected officials make.
It's very disappointing to hear this, but not surprising. Check out the chart in this article. It's pitiful, really.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/07/24/voter-turnout-always-drops-off-for-midterm-elections-but-why/
Voter turnout always drops off for midterm elections, but why?
Voter turnout, no matter how measured, is consistently lower in midterm elections compared to presidential election years. Political scientists aren't sure why, but have some ideas.
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CW5 (Join to see)
And kudos to you, SGM (Join to see), for promoting voting in that way. You'd think that Soldiers would take advantage of such a good "offer."
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SGM (Join to see)
Because they are uninformed, while this is not a good thing, I wish more people who did not understand what they are voting for took the opportunity to not vote.
Pushing people to vote, who have no idea about the issues or the people on the ballot gets us personalities instead of people of substance. There is little difference, in my opinion, between the two parties. Most of the electorate does not even understand what it means to be a Republic…heck most of the electorate does not even know we are a Republic?
Last, I would not want to miss PT to vote...there are less important things to miss...but I will find the time to vote.
Because they are uninformed, while this is not a good thing, I wish more people who did not understand what they are voting for took the opportunity to not vote.
Pushing people to vote, who have no idea about the issues or the people on the ballot gets us personalities instead of people of substance. There is little difference, in my opinion, between the two parties. Most of the electorate does not even understand what it means to be a Republic…heck most of the electorate does not even know we are a Republic?
Last, I would not want to miss PT to vote...there are less important things to miss...but I will find the time to vote.
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SGM (Join to see) I have to applaud you for doing what you can to help motivate your soldiers to get involved. 2 thumbs up!
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Many Americans are more interested in voting their top idol or talent artists than vote for who governs them.
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I think many soldiers take issue with what they consider to be a lack of quality candidates - or even of political ideologies. It's the inherent flaw in a two-party system. We've all heard the jokes about choosing the "lesser of two evils" in elections, but I think there is some actual merit to this notion (at least, in attempting to understand voting trends).
If you break it down objectively by where the parties are at today, you see this:
The younger demographic (the bulk of our fighting force) is predominantly left-leaning on social issues. But where the Democratic Party would pick up these votes, they simultaneously lose them because of the "anti-military" stigma that the party carries (be it right or wrong).
Meanwhile, the GOP is having a hard enough time reaching lifelong Republican voters, much less young voters. Despite its hallmark "pro-military" appeal, the Republican Party can't win the votes of these young voters because of the aforementioned social issues.
I also think that more and more young Americans are inclined to identify with third-party candidates. And so this is the issue that we face:
"If I agree with Candidate A on 2 out of 10 issues, and I agree with Candidate B on 3 out of 10 issues, why would I vote for either of them?"
So, if it is apathy, I think it's a different kind of apathy. Not "my vote doesn't matter," but rather, "it's just two sides of the same coin, which I want nothing to do with."
If you break it down objectively by where the parties are at today, you see this:
The younger demographic (the bulk of our fighting force) is predominantly left-leaning on social issues. But where the Democratic Party would pick up these votes, they simultaneously lose them because of the "anti-military" stigma that the party carries (be it right or wrong).
Meanwhile, the GOP is having a hard enough time reaching lifelong Republican voters, much less young voters. Despite its hallmark "pro-military" appeal, the Republican Party can't win the votes of these young voters because of the aforementioned social issues.
I also think that more and more young Americans are inclined to identify with third-party candidates. And so this is the issue that we face:
"If I agree with Candidate A on 2 out of 10 issues, and I agree with Candidate B on 3 out of 10 issues, why would I vote for either of them?"
So, if it is apathy, I think it's a different kind of apathy. Not "my vote doesn't matter," but rather, "it's just two sides of the same coin, which I want nothing to do with."
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MSG (Join to see)
That isn't apathy; voting for "the lesser of the 2 evils" is still voting for evil.
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Voting was a big thing when I was in. However, after several major elections where it was reported that the military vote was thrown out, under counted and otherwise tossed out, I'm not overly surprised. Voting is also a hit or miss activity by age and other statistics. The break down in this pdf. shows, in a nut shell, that lower income people, those with short residencies, the young and minorities have low turn out. Sad but its so. Those are exactly the people that need to be voting.
http://www.nonprofitvote.org/documents/2013/09/america-goes-to-the-polls-2012-voter-participation-gaps-in-the-2012-presidential-election.pdf
http://www.nonprofitvote.org/documents/2013/09/america-goes-to-the-polls-2012-voter-participation-gaps-in-the-2012-presidential-election.pdf
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When i was in Iraq i voted absentee, its a right for us to vote. I know a lot of the Marines that I worked with didn't vote, because it seems like what we have to say doesn't matter.
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SGM (Join to see)
CPL Hueter, I think that's the general opinion of most that chose not to vote. They feel that they're vote doesn't matter. A lot of citizens fail to understand the power their vote has when electing members of the house and senate. That's where the real power for legislation lies in our goverment. I think it should be viewed as a duty to vote instead of a right or a burden. Our voices are full of complaints yet we fail to let our ballots speak for us at the polls on election day.
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