What drives me up a wall, is that the same liberals that chastise you for not voting or voting 3rd party, will just accept all the same problems when a Dem is in the Whitehouse and gaslight you when you bring it up.
Also, representatives ignore messages from their constituents unless you have a voting block behind you. I messaged my representatives about my experience with neurodivergent workplace discrimination and was mostly ignored. Including progessive darling Delia Ramirez and a generic form letter from disability heroine Tammy Duckworth.
Credit to IL State Rep LaPointe, who was the only to write me back and had some very thoughtful things to say.
I moved from Chicago to a swing state earlier this year and am wrestling with having a vote that might actually count for something (in-so-far as a vote counts for anything in this failed state.)
I feel literally sick at the idea of voting for Kamala and swore I would never do it. Still, a week ago I had conversation with my grandma, who is in her 90s and was a member of the communist party in the 50s and 60s (my great grandfather since the 30s and 40s!) and I started to feel torn. Our family faced a lot of political repression including surveillance and imprisonment during the McCarthy era and under HUAC. She is really afraid of the political repression that Trump is threatening. Of course I’m scared of a trump presidency for all the other reasons- immediate devastating impacts on immigrants, trans people, labor- but the fact that dude is threatening to essentially jail all pro-palestinian organizers day one… I’m really scared about the immediate effects he will have of the left’s ability to mobilize.
Idk. I’m so angry at being forced to participate. My choice is immediate assured material suffering for vast swathes of the population and terrible political repression and slightly less immediate assured material suffering in exchange for symbolically endorsing someone who I hold responsible for genocide. And I actually feel like I have to in a way I did not in Illinois. My boyfriend and I are doing a vote swap through swapyourvote.org fwiw I’ve opted out of voting before and regretted it. I’ve voted and regretted it. Idk, it’s all a fucking scam.
I think I do get the point. The vote is almost entirely symbolic, focusing on electoral politics detracts from meaningful organizing, and the system is rigged. It’s not really a choice at all. My mind was made up not to vote for these exact reasons. And I’m choosing to listen to my grandma’s concerns on this one now that I live in a swing state. I don’t relish this option, I feel disgusted by it, but I will do it in addition to organizing in the hopes that a few more years without overtly fascist political repression will be of use to the left. It’s a nasty business.
I do have to say you seem to be implying you are going to make a difference, and without you it could all fall apart, otherwise, you will celebrate the tiny victory that the lesser of two evils has been set back for now… and your great hand in it…
You seem pretty invested in making sure I understand I’m not doing anything to save the world so let me just assure you- I don’t. this is not a decision I am congratulating myself for or feel remotely good about. Do I think my vote might actually be worth something in a very close race in a swing state? Yeah a tiny bit. Am I convinced this means anything? No. Do all of the problems previously outlined still stand? Absolutely. We live in hell and yes I do feel extremely powerless. Hope you take some satisfaction in the knowledge that this brings me pain. 🙃
I do not wish any discomfort on you or anyone OUTSIDE politics.
I wish you not to concern yourself with politics at all.
Completely ignore it and focus on anything else.
STOP giving it ANY power over you.
That's my point in a nutshell.
There are just as many on the opposite side as you in different colored shirts and hats. Do you really think you are all doing anything in this tug of war game show other than spending millions and millions of wasted human capital this F-show that in the end accomplishes just more bickering?
The system is broken but its the ROMAN COLISEUM all over again... Keep them entertained while we do what we really want.
Hundreds of years of technology amassing and we are still day to day absolutely clueless apes.
I needed to read this so bad - people really make you feel like you're crazy for suggesting you don't want to go vote at all! Thank you for the laughs and solidarity
Here, here, Devon. So well said, as usual. We've got to focus on building that community support you mentioned, as that may be our only hope in the long run.
Love this piece. The only thing I’m actually excited to vote on is a bunch of local stuff that will determine things like if we get to keep crosswalks and barriers to cars in my neighborhood or whether the non-police emergency response program gets funded or cut off. Federal level bs is going to be the empire no matter. Maybe we get to keep Lina Khan going after monopolies a bit. Otherwise, doesn’t seem like there’s much point.
Vote, or don't vote. The president isn't the only position open of the ballot however. I will tell you tho, where I live in kansas, over 10 positions for judges ran unopposed for Republicans. At least I got to vote for my gerrymandered senate seat and state representatives!
Devon, I hope your light and literature survive the fall I keep having nightmares (dreams?) about. You're genuinely one of the most insightful people I've come across and you say what you're thinking with direct tact, consequences be damned. Thanks for showing your light to the rest of us <3
Devon, I respect you and agree with much of what you've shared. The system is deeply flawed, and there are forces actively working to suppress and disillusion voters. We need to confront this reality, but promoting a sense of powerlessness plays directly into the hands of Trump and those who benefit from it.
I grew up in (West) Germany and am old enough to remember a divided country, with one part under Soviet dictatorship. I saw firsthand what people endured in East Germany, and I have many personal stories of that time. During WWII, one of my grandfathers fully embraced his role as an SS officer, while the other—a Bulgarian diplomat—narrowly escaped the Gestapo. So, from an early age, I’ve felt the weight of my German history and a profound responsibility to ensure such horrors never happen again. I also learned that silence and inaction allow terrible things to take root.
I know many of us feel deeply conflicted right now. We’re witnessing horrifying events in Gaza and are grappling with our country’s complicity in these atrocities, while also facing an authoritarian threat at home. Like many of you, I feel a responsibility toward the Palestinian people and an urgency to end this senseless violence. Change seems too slow.
So, if you’re considering a third-party vote for Jill Stein or a non vote, part of me understands. But I also have to ask: How will this help the people in Gaza or here at home? If it clears your conscience, is that enough?
In Illinois, your protest vote or non-vote may not seem to matter (though I have plenty of arguments for why your votes do matter). But here in Wisconsin and other swing states, sitting out the election or voting for Stein does nothing but help Trump. Trump’s followers are largely united by a fear of the progress we actually have made over the past decades and recent years, so to suggest our voices don’t matter is simply not true.
This system is what we’ve got - right now. It’s one thing to stick to one’s ideals in a close race, but if the cost is risking our - albeit flawed - democracy to a vengeful, impulsive authoritarian who sees half the country as the enemy within, whose party is stripping women and minorities of their human rights; who dehumanizes people for their looks, identities, and beliefs; who promises mass deportations that will put millions of lives at risk and tear families apart; who will revoke the Affordable Care Act, cut Social Security, impose tariffs that could drive inflation higher than ever, withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, abandon NATO, AND have access to nuclear codes... I’m saying this with as much compassion and love as I can: there better be a good plan in place to deal with the consequences that may follow from your non-vote. Because with Trump, we will lose ANY leverage we still have.
Lisa, I am deeply fearful of the all the outcomes you have just outlined. The issue that I am trying to highlight here is that my vote has zero statistical influence on the outcome of this election and whether any of that happens. If I told you that I had voted, would that change anything for you? Would it suddenly not be my responsibility to come up with a plan for what happens if Trump wins? We will all have to prepare for the potential of a Trump win-- because a vote does not offer us moral absolution or remove us from this reality. We are all in this together, and we're all going to have to do a hell of a lot more than vote. There are many forms of political action that exist in the world, beyond the ones offered to us by the prevailing ruling order.
Devon, thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I agree that change requires more than just voting, but I see voting as the low-hanging fruit - it’s literally the easiest thing we can do right now to keep Trump out of office, especially for those of us in swing states.
Preventing him from setting foot into the Oval Office will allow us to continue grassroots efforts without the added obstacles of which there will be so many if he wins. Statistically, one vote may not change everything, but collectively, it signals to our leaders—and the world—that the majority of Americans do not support Trump’s vision. This election isn’t just an American issue; it shapes how other countries see us and act. Europe, in particular, has always looked to the U.S., and right-wing extremism has already begun to trickle over in ways we haven’t experienced since WWII. We cannot allow this to escalate any further.
Voting may seem small, but it’s one vital part of resistance within this undoubtedly flawed system.
Thanks for all you do - I really appreciate you! ❤️
I don’t think the world will think better of us for keeping 1/2 of the 2 US leaders that are committing genocide in power. Voting isn’t “resistance” in this scenario, it’s at best giving in to extortion and at worst outright collusion with ethnic cleansers. You don’t vote FOR the “moderate” nazi and call it responsible, you must instead recognize that the only responsible way is to treat them like every other nazi.
Thank you for this article. I appreciate you and your work.
I listened to “A Marxist Perspective on Elections with August Nimtz” from Upstream. It was very insightful. Professor Nimtz talked about how voting for a third party is registering a preference. It could help us come out of hiding and build numbers.
I just wanted to add this idea to the conversation - I’m curious about thoughts of others
Damn... YOU should BE PRESIDENT... if that didn't stand AGAINST everything you just argued. Lol.
I have taken a COMPLETELY NEW stance on life and democracy after doing deep dives such as this in the last little while.
A complete identity shift.
There is no escaping this reality.
But we don't have to takes sides we can step back and see the games as if we are seprate from it and see each side as playing the same game to different tunes.
Regardless of what side wins it's simply a revolving game of musical chairs where the only goal is to get a seat... damned be all else.
Nothing... nothing else matters.
Once the music starts playing they all get up and start all over, forever jocking for position near a seat for the electoral music drop.
The same people who complain about the government ask them to create new policies constantly.
Government has lost it's way. The people got what they want they just didn't realize what it was they were asking for.
But got what you asked for you did... and ARE.
Their is NO FIXING it!
Only realizing the maze we are in can you learn NOT TO PLAY, set up shop and make your life as COMFORTABLE AS possible because this earth dumpster is on fire and is not going to extinguish itself until it burns itself out.
What drives me up a wall, is that the same liberals that chastise you for not voting or voting 3rd party, will just accept all the same problems when a Dem is in the Whitehouse and gaslight you when you bring it up.
Also, representatives ignore messages from their constituents unless you have a voting block behind you. I messaged my representatives about my experience with neurodivergent workplace discrimination and was mostly ignored. Including progessive darling Delia Ramirez and a generic form letter from disability heroine Tammy Duckworth.
Credit to IL State Rep LaPointe, who was the only to write me back and had some very thoughtful things to say.
I moved from Chicago to a swing state earlier this year and am wrestling with having a vote that might actually count for something (in-so-far as a vote counts for anything in this failed state.)
I feel literally sick at the idea of voting for Kamala and swore I would never do it. Still, a week ago I had conversation with my grandma, who is in her 90s and was a member of the communist party in the 50s and 60s (my great grandfather since the 30s and 40s!) and I started to feel torn. Our family faced a lot of political repression including surveillance and imprisonment during the McCarthy era and under HUAC. She is really afraid of the political repression that Trump is threatening. Of course I’m scared of a trump presidency for all the other reasons- immediate devastating impacts on immigrants, trans people, labor- but the fact that dude is threatening to essentially jail all pro-palestinian organizers day one… I’m really scared about the immediate effects he will have of the left’s ability to mobilize.
Idk. I’m so angry at being forced to participate. My choice is immediate assured material suffering for vast swathes of the population and terrible political repression and slightly less immediate assured material suffering in exchange for symbolically endorsing someone who I hold responsible for genocide. And I actually feel like I have to in a way I did not in Illinois. My boyfriend and I are doing a vote swap through swapyourvote.org fwiw I’ve opted out of voting before and regretted it. I’ve voted and regretted it. Idk, it’s all a fucking scam.
Seems you missed the point. You are not forced to play th game. You have fallen victim to it.
Don't vote. So what. You really think tour vote will change anything and you'll agonize about it like you actually had anything to do with it.
Everyone should completely ignore politics.
Just let it be.
It all your faults!
If the US FOUSED %1O OF WHAT THEY DO ON ELECTIONS... THEY wouldn't have lost their dominance and instead become a laughingstock of the planet.
STOP ACTING LIKE YOU ALONE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD!!!
I think I do get the point. The vote is almost entirely symbolic, focusing on electoral politics detracts from meaningful organizing, and the system is rigged. It’s not really a choice at all. My mind was made up not to vote for these exact reasons. And I’m choosing to listen to my grandma’s concerns on this one now that I live in a swing state. I don’t relish this option, I feel disgusted by it, but I will do it in addition to organizing in the hopes that a few more years without overtly fascist political repression will be of use to the left. It’s a nasty business.
I wish you the best in that endeavor.
I do have to say you seem to be implying you are going to make a difference, and without you it could all fall apart, otherwise, you will celebrate the tiny victory that the lesser of two evils has been set back for now… and your great hand in it…
Thanks for single handedly saving Democracy!
…and yet… you “get it?”
You seem pretty invested in making sure I understand I’m not doing anything to save the world so let me just assure you- I don’t. this is not a decision I am congratulating myself for or feel remotely good about. Do I think my vote might actually be worth something in a very close race in a swing state? Yeah a tiny bit. Am I convinced this means anything? No. Do all of the problems previously outlined still stand? Absolutely. We live in hell and yes I do feel extremely powerless. Hope you take some satisfaction in the knowledge that this brings me pain. 🙃
I do not wish any discomfort on you or anyone OUTSIDE politics.
I wish you not to concern yourself with politics at all.
Completely ignore it and focus on anything else.
STOP giving it ANY power over you.
That's my point in a nutshell.
There are just as many on the opposite side as you in different colored shirts and hats. Do you really think you are all doing anything in this tug of war game show other than spending millions and millions of wasted human capital this F-show that in the end accomplishes just more bickering?
The system is broken but its the ROMAN COLISEUM all over again... Keep them entertained while we do what we really want.
Hundreds of years of technology amassing and we are still day to day absolutely clueless apes.
I needed to read this so bad - people really make you feel like you're crazy for suggesting you don't want to go vote at all! Thank you for the laughs and solidarity
If you vote and think you have a responsibility and accountability you have been fooled. Good one ya for seeing that.
Here, here, Devon. So well said, as usual. We've got to focus on building that community support you mentioned, as that may be our only hope in the long run.
See you on the other side Nov. 6th!
thank GOD someone is talking about the drag race voting posters outside Hydrate
It's DISGUSTING VIRTUE SIGNALING!
Holy shit. Thank you so much for putting into words all the frustrations I’ve been struggling to express. l
Love this piece. The only thing I’m actually excited to vote on is a bunch of local stuff that will determine things like if we get to keep crosswalks and barriers to cars in my neighborhood or whether the non-police emergency response program gets funded or cut off. Federal level bs is going to be the empire no matter. Maybe we get to keep Lina Khan going after monopolies a bit. Otherwise, doesn’t seem like there’s much point.
This is the best article I have read about not voting, bravo.
Voting is like using the suggestion box on a slave ship.
Government is created by a myth, politicians maintain the myth, along with their cronies. Once the spell of the myth is broken they are finished.
The cracks are widening as more people realise this .
Vote, or don't vote. The president isn't the only position open of the ballot however. I will tell you tho, where I live in kansas, over 10 positions for judges ran unopposed for Republicans. At least I got to vote for my gerrymandered senate seat and state representatives!
The democrats gsve up on kansas a long time ago
Devon, I hope your light and literature survive the fall I keep having nightmares (dreams?) about. You're genuinely one of the most insightful people I've come across and you say what you're thinking with direct tact, consequences be damned. Thanks for showing your light to the rest of us <3
Devon, I respect you and agree with much of what you've shared. The system is deeply flawed, and there are forces actively working to suppress and disillusion voters. We need to confront this reality, but promoting a sense of powerlessness plays directly into the hands of Trump and those who benefit from it.
I grew up in (West) Germany and am old enough to remember a divided country, with one part under Soviet dictatorship. I saw firsthand what people endured in East Germany, and I have many personal stories of that time. During WWII, one of my grandfathers fully embraced his role as an SS officer, while the other—a Bulgarian diplomat—narrowly escaped the Gestapo. So, from an early age, I’ve felt the weight of my German history and a profound responsibility to ensure such horrors never happen again. I also learned that silence and inaction allow terrible things to take root.
I know many of us feel deeply conflicted right now. We’re witnessing horrifying events in Gaza and are grappling with our country’s complicity in these atrocities, while also facing an authoritarian threat at home. Like many of you, I feel a responsibility toward the Palestinian people and an urgency to end this senseless violence. Change seems too slow.
So, if you’re considering a third-party vote for Jill Stein or a non vote, part of me understands. But I also have to ask: How will this help the people in Gaza or here at home? If it clears your conscience, is that enough?
In Illinois, your protest vote or non-vote may not seem to matter (though I have plenty of arguments for why your votes do matter). But here in Wisconsin and other swing states, sitting out the election or voting for Stein does nothing but help Trump. Trump’s followers are largely united by a fear of the progress we actually have made over the past decades and recent years, so to suggest our voices don’t matter is simply not true.
This system is what we’ve got - right now. It’s one thing to stick to one’s ideals in a close race, but if the cost is risking our - albeit flawed - democracy to a vengeful, impulsive authoritarian who sees half the country as the enemy within, whose party is stripping women and minorities of their human rights; who dehumanizes people for their looks, identities, and beliefs; who promises mass deportations that will put millions of lives at risk and tear families apart; who will revoke the Affordable Care Act, cut Social Security, impose tariffs that could drive inflation higher than ever, withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, abandon NATO, AND have access to nuclear codes... I’m saying this with as much compassion and love as I can: there better be a good plan in place to deal with the consequences that may follow from your non-vote. Because with Trump, we will lose ANY leverage we still have.
Lisa, I am deeply fearful of the all the outcomes you have just outlined. The issue that I am trying to highlight here is that my vote has zero statistical influence on the outcome of this election and whether any of that happens. If I told you that I had voted, would that change anything for you? Would it suddenly not be my responsibility to come up with a plan for what happens if Trump wins? We will all have to prepare for the potential of a Trump win-- because a vote does not offer us moral absolution or remove us from this reality. We are all in this together, and we're all going to have to do a hell of a lot more than vote. There are many forms of political action that exist in the world, beyond the ones offered to us by the prevailing ruling order.
Devon, thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I agree that change requires more than just voting, but I see voting as the low-hanging fruit - it’s literally the easiest thing we can do right now to keep Trump out of office, especially for those of us in swing states.
Preventing him from setting foot into the Oval Office will allow us to continue grassroots efforts without the added obstacles of which there will be so many if he wins. Statistically, one vote may not change everything, but collectively, it signals to our leaders—and the world—that the majority of Americans do not support Trump’s vision. This election isn’t just an American issue; it shapes how other countries see us and act. Europe, in particular, has always looked to the U.S., and right-wing extremism has already begun to trickle over in ways we haven’t experienced since WWII. We cannot allow this to escalate any further.
Voting may seem small, but it’s one vital part of resistance within this undoubtedly flawed system.
Thanks for all you do - I really appreciate you! ❤️
I don’t think the world will think better of us for keeping 1/2 of the 2 US leaders that are committing genocide in power. Voting isn’t “resistance” in this scenario, it’s at best giving in to extortion and at worst outright collusion with ethnic cleansers. You don’t vote FOR the “moderate” nazi and call it responsible, you must instead recognize that the only responsible way is to treat them like every other nazi.
Thank you for this article. I appreciate you and your work.
I listened to “A Marxist Perspective on Elections with August Nimtz” from Upstream. It was very insightful. Professor Nimtz talked about how voting for a third party is registering a preference. It could help us come out of hiding and build numbers.
I just wanted to add this idea to the conversation - I’m curious about thoughts of others
Damn... YOU should BE PRESIDENT... if that didn't stand AGAINST everything you just argued. Lol.
I have taken a COMPLETELY NEW stance on life and democracy after doing deep dives such as this in the last little while.
A complete identity shift.
There is no escaping this reality.
But we don't have to takes sides we can step back and see the games as if we are seprate from it and see each side as playing the same game to different tunes.
Regardless of what side wins it's simply a revolving game of musical chairs where the only goal is to get a seat... damned be all else.
Nothing... nothing else matters.
Once the music starts playing they all get up and start all over, forever jocking for position near a seat for the electoral music drop.
The same people who complain about the government ask them to create new policies constantly.
Government has lost it's way. The people got what they want they just didn't realize what it was they were asking for.
But got what you asked for you did... and ARE.
Their is NO FIXING it!
Only realizing the maze we are in can you learn NOT TO PLAY, set up shop and make your life as COMFORTABLE AS possible because this earth dumpster is on fire and is not going to extinguish itself until it burns itself out.