Five (Terrible) Reasons People Don’t Vote

We’ve all heard some variation of it. “Voting doesn’t matter.”

Maybe it’s some guy at the bar. Maybe it’s your buddy jamming on “Call of Duty” who can’t even bother to look up from the screen. Maybe it’s @yolobrolo! in the comments. 

Whoever it is, there’s an election coming up, so let’s just stop this nonsense. Yes, the nonstop campaign ads are already making YouTube unwatchable. And the constant “Hey it’s (insert candidate name) reaching out” texts are making everyone nostalgic for landlines and rotary dials. 

All true. But that doesn’t change the fact that this November, we all have a chance to have a real say in the future of our communities, country, and our planet. And if you don’t show up to vote, you’re giving that power entirely to someone else.

If you’re reading this, you already get it. But chances are, you’ve got someone in your life who doesn’t. So we’ve pulled together the most common excuses we hear why someone doesn’t vote and some responses to help you get them to grow up and show up on Election Day. 

Terrible Reason No.1: Elections don’t matter. Nothing changes.

Seriously? You may have noticed that the country looks a little different in 2026 than it did in 2022. Not just the US either. The UK, Chile, Italy, Hungary. The list goes on.

Elections brought change. Tangible change. All because people showed up and voted. One way or another (and probably many more ways than one), the 2026 election will shape the direction of our cities, our states, our country, and our world. You should have a say.

Terrible Reason No. 2: One vote doesn’t change anything.

Yeah... No. Just look at recent history.

In 2016 alone, “more than 340 state office elections were decided by fewer than 500 votes; of those, more than 85 were determined by fewer than 100 votes.” That’s from an analysis by the Center for American Progress.

Go further back and the examples just keep coming, not just in the US but around the world. In the 2011 Swiss federal election race to represent Ticino, a canton in the southwestern part of the country (think roughly US House seat), both candidates received 23,979 votes. Further back, in various stages of a 1974 US Senate race, the outcomes were decided by 10 and then two votes. 

And these are just a few examples. The point is, many, many elections are incredibly close. And you’ve got to ask yourself, do you really want to be the one looking at the returns thinking, “You know, my vote could’ve made the difference.” 

Terrible Reason No. 3: Politicians don’t do anything. They’re all the same.

Look, we get that most of America feels the same way about Congress that Zlatan does about Lalas. But choosing to sit silently on the sidelines only says you’re good with things staying the way they are. 

If that’s how you feel, great. But if it’s not, well, ball’s in your court.

Terrible Reason No. 4: Who cares about politics, anyways?

We’ll tell you who: Wealthy corporations and billionaires. They care about politics. A lot. It’s why they’re spending a reported $1.2 billion on the 2026 elections. And if you don’t care enough to show up and vote, well, that’s great for them. In fact, they’d love it if you stay home. Just love it. They’re more than happy to shape our government and our planet. That’s kind of the point of all that spending, after all.

You really want to leave your country to these guys? 

Terrible Reason No. 5: The political system is just broken. Voting won’t change that.

Okay, let’s step out of the Reddit rabbit hole. You may not like the current state of politics and that’s fair. But it hasn’t always been this way – and it doesn’t have to stay this way either. That’s where voting comes in. This is one of your chances to help fix the system. You do the other things to improve our systems and society – and you can vote. But it only works if you speak up and show up.

This is not an article telling you this is the most important election of our generation (what does that even mean?). But the 2026 US midterms and every democratic election is an incredible opportunity to think about the future you want for our country and our world – and help shape it. Just by coloring in some bubbles or clicking a mouse a few times. 

If you’ve read this far, you know you’re going to vote. But there’s a lot more you can do to help other Americans vote too. To learn more, visit Climate Leadership Action, an independent organization affiliated with The Climate Reality Project, and help get more Americans to the polls on Election Day.