The 2024 US presidential election had been widely characterized as one of the most consequential political contests in recent US history. Although turnout was high for a presidential election – almost matching the levels of 2020 – it is estimated that close to 90 million Americans, roughly 36% of the eligible voting age population, did not vote. This number is greater than the number of people who voted for either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.
More than a month on from polling day, eligible US voters from across the country as well as other parts of the world got in touch with the Guardian to share why they did not vote.
Scores of people said they had not turned out as they felt their vote would not matter because of the electoral college system, since they lived in a safely blue or red state. This included a number of people who nonetheless had voted in the 2020 and 2016 elections.
While various previous Democratic voters said they had abstained this time due to the Harris campaign’s stance on Israel or for other policy reasons, a number of people in this camp said they would have voted for the vice-president had they lived in a swing state.
And you’re delusional if you think not voting will change the two party system. At least by voting for the democrats (in this case), you’d try to prevent a lot of the bad things that Trump promised and that will hurt the less privileged part of the population.
There needs to be a cultural change for change to happen.
Until that cultural shift occurs, voting really is just a waste of time.
Although you would have a point if more people were actually interested in solving problems facing the working class. Too many of them are divided on gridlock issues that exist to distract them from how they’re being exploited.