成人X站

The latest note I got 鈥撯�� very polite by the way 鈥撯�� was from a listener who didn鈥檛 appreciate being chastised for not voting in the primary, because, she said, 鈥淚 almost never hear any information about primary candidates on the news. I do not feel informed enough to vote in the primary. And when I’m not informed, I don’t vote on something. I don’t want to pollute the vote with my uninformedness.鈥�

This listener sounds like a good person, and she is correct, we typically don鈥檛 give much coverage to primary candidates. That鈥檚 on us 鈥� but it doesn鈥檛 change the situation.

More from Dave Ross: The divide between the reasonable and the unreasonable comes down to what works

I鈥檓 just letting you know that every person who doesn鈥檛 vote 鈥� for whatever reason 鈥� is making someone else鈥檚 vote more powerful than it otherwise would be. That could actually be to my benefit, so I probably shouldn鈥檛 be saying anything. But if I wasn鈥檛 up-front about this, I鈥檇 feel guilty 鈥� like finding a $20 bill and slipping it into my pocket without even looking around for the person who dropped it.

So as the election approaches, I remind people that not聽voting means giving up your one chance to throw your weight around on an equal basis with every other voter.

There are many reasons why you might not want to vote 鈥� you feel uninformed, you hate all the candidates, you don鈥檛 have time to read up on them 鈥� but what you cannot say is that it鈥檚 too much of a hassle, or inconvenient, or that you can鈥檛 learn about who鈥檚 running. Because the state and the county mail you a voter鈥檚 pamphlet, with the statements of all the candidates who wanted to participate, they also mail your ballot to your home and pay for return postage.

Everything but thrust the pencil into your hand

But I feel that before you non-voters surrender your power yet again, I am obligated to let you know how politicians see that choice.

Having campaigned myself, I can tell you 鈥� every politician knows which neighborhoods vote, and which don鈥檛. And even politicians who are in it for the right reason know they can鈥檛 do any good unless they win, so they are not going to waste their time on people who don鈥檛 vote.

Non-voters, as far as politicians are concerned, are dead. Or were never born. Your home will not be on the doorbell list and pollsters are unlikely to call for your opinion. And yes, maybe you prefer that!

And it鈥檚 true 鈥� voting doesn鈥檛 guarantee you鈥檒l win.

Don’t become irrelevant

But not voting does guarantee you will be ignored.

And it鈥檚 your choice! All I would ask is that you make sure your unused ballot materials are responsibly recycled. And thanks for surrendering your power. I will try to use it wisely.

about registering to vote, receiving a ballot in the mail, and doing your research about the candidates.

Listen to Seattle鈥檚 Morning News with Dave Ross and Colleen O鈥橞rien weekday mornings from 5 鈥� 9 a.m. on 成人X站 Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the聽podcast here.