You don’t like the candidates. You don’t like the dirty politics. What is a responsible citizen to do in the election season? Many decide not to vote, and yet that just feeds dirty politics based on calculations of low turnout. See Integrity or Elected Office – Your Choice.
Actually the more disgusted you are the more you should turn out to vote. Your turning out at the polls is more important than your individual vote – because it can alter behavior in the electoral system.
Now for the dilemma: whom to vote for? What if you wish there were stronger candidates? What if you disapprove of all the available candidates? How can you make your voice heard within the electoral process? My suggestion: write in a person whom you wish were a candidate. You are not wasting your vote – you are using your vote to send a message, both to the “winner” and to strong candidates that you would like to see in the future.
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What would happen if many of us did this and a write-in candidate who was not campaigning actually got a majority of votes? That would take us back to the era of the election of George Washington for president. He did not campaign and yet he was elected. He agreed to take the office because he felt an obligation to serve the public interest.
So think carefully about whom you might want to write in when you turn out to vote. Turn your disgust into action.
