A dialogue with a voter

"You have to vote," they tell me.

People insist. 

"It's easy to enrol," they say (or said). 

But that's only relevant if I wanted to vote.

"But it's your duty. People fought for the right to vote."

The right to vote is also a a right not to vote. That's a vote for 'None of the Above.'

"If you don’t choose, everyone else chooses for you."

But all the choices suck arse. So whomever everyone chooses will suck arse.

"You owe it to yourself to pay attention and make a choice."

It's my attention to them that tells me there's no choice amongst them worth getting out of bed for.

"But if you don't vote, the 'other team' will get in."

Things will happen that way even if I did vote. And what makes you think 'this team' will be any better? 

"But if you don't like the government, then you have to vote against them."

You're voting against; but the team for whom you do vote for take your vote as an endorsement. As a mandate. Don't give it to them.

"But an hour of your time shapes three years of policy."

There is precisely zero chance that even three years of me voting would shape even a second of government policy. 

"But if you don't vote, you have no right to complain."

Contra that: if you do vote you're responsible for those speaking in your name. For all their theft and mendacity, all their threats and bullying, and all of their coercion. Your vote endorses that.

"But you can't complain about a government if you didn't vote."

Precisely wrong. It's only those who didn't vote for them who have any right to complain.

"So vote for the lesser of two evils."

The lesser of any number of evils is still evil. Why endorse that?

"But you speak for people who can’t vote. Children, the sick and the vulnerable are affected by the result but have no vote."

Then in that case they'd be better served by better candidates for office.

"But turnout is a mandate. A government elected by a bigger share of the people can claim to speak for them."

And a government elected on a low turnout might reflect that voters have refused to give them a mandate. 

"But silence reads as consent."

Precisely wrong. Silence too is a voice.

"But, but ... you have to vote."

No, you don't.

Don't vote. It only encourages them.

* * * * 

Q: Any other arguments for voting you've heard?