Hundreds of thousands of Individuals put together to solid their ballots within the presidential election each 4 years. But, for a lot of, the selection to remain at dwelling and sit out the vote isn’t unusual.
In current presidential elections, the proportion of Individuals selecting to not vote has remained between 40-50% of the inhabitants, or about 100 to 125 million eligible voters, in accordance with a examine by Michael P. McDonald, a political science professor on the College of Florida.
Professor Michael Hagen of Temple College stated there are a number of totally different the reason why folks select to not vote.
“These causes vary from people believing that elected officers have little impression on their lives — to those that really feel their vote doesn’t matter — to others who merely don’t really feel like politics is an space the place they’ve sufficient experience,” Hagen stated.
Tim Lynch, ‘25, is amongst those that selected to not vote as a result of he stated he believes the election final result may have minimal impression on his life.
Lynch stated he didn’t vote within the election as a result of he doesn’t imagine he has been personally affected by the president within the final eight years.
He additionally stated he didn’t discover any main variations between the 2 administrations throughout this election cycle.
“When the election is all stated and carried out, I don’t understand how drastic the distinction can be between the 2 candidates in the event that they have been each in workplace,” Lynch stated. “I don’t suppose I’d discover something totally different in my each day.”
He additionally stated his one vote wouldn’t make a distinction towards who wins or loses the election, so he didn’t really feel obligated to vote.
G.B.,‘25, most popular to be nameless and likewise selected to not vote, nonetheless, they really feel a lot in a different way than Lynch.
“I believe my vote has a objective,” G.B. stated. “And that’s why I’m not doing something with it.”
In Northampton County, a key space in Pennsylvania’s swing state, and the place they’re registered to vote, each vote might make a distinction, they stated.
G.B.’s determination to not vote stems from their dissatisfaction with each presidential candidates on the poll. They stated they might somewhat abstain from voting fully, as they don’t need their vote to affect any final result.
Brian Fife, the chair of Lehigh’s political science division, stated not voting based mostly on not liking the candidates has occurred for the reason that finish of the 18th century.
He stated it’s a standard approach for non-voters to suppose. Nonetheless, he urges folks to rethink and solid their vote for “the lesser of two evils.”
For Rebecca Lloyd, ‘25, figuring out the lesser of two evils was troublesome due to the election’s divisive nature.
“I’ve folks that I like and care about that will not speak to me relying on how I voted,” Lloyd stated.
Rising up, Lloyd stated she was raised in a conservative family, and her household urged her to vote for Trump. Whereas at Lehigh, her associates largely lean in the other way, advocating for Harris.
Hagen stated surrounding the 2024 election, there was a number of social strain to vote.
“All people’s telling us to vote and is pushing their concepts on others,” Hagen stated. “So for those who don’t vote, you form of really feel dangerous about it.
Lloyd stated she would’ve been keen to vote if the folks round her didn’t really feel so strongly in regards to the election.
“If I didn’t really feel like I used to be going to get ridiculed, then I’d be much more inclined to vote,” she stated.
Drew Pruyne, ‘25, was somebody who had been planning to vote within the election till a couple of weeks in the past when he realized he had forgotten to register.
He assumed same-day registration in his dwelling state of Maine was the norm all over the place.
“I’m upset in myself, simply because I ought to’ve made a plan earlier than, now I really feel form of ignorant,” Pruyne stated.
Hagen stated the voting course of within the U.S. is difficult. The method is burdensome on the voters, not on the federal government, leaving folks like Pruyne unable to vote, he stated.
Though he by no means voted, Pruyne stated he was relieved to get up this morning to information that the candidate he was intending on casting his vote for, Donald Trump, had received the election.
“I remorse not voting, however fortunately the end result I wished to occur did,” he stated.
Regardless of Trump’s win, Lynch stated he nonetheless feels detached about not voting.
G.B. stated they’ve small regrets about not voting after seeing the end result as a result of they really feel the subsequent 4 years could be “very polarizing.”
All 4 college students didn’t vote on this election however stated they plan to vote sooner or later underneath totally different circumstances.
