Irresponsible, uninformed voting undermines democracy

By Adam Burger

On Nov. 5, the United States could reach long-time lows for voter turnout. National turnout could rival the 35.3 percent mark of 1998 - the lowest since 1942. In March, California missed breaking the record for low voter turnout in a primary election by two-tenths of a percent, coming in at 17 percent.

In the coming weeks, there will be those who decry the low turnout and question what causes our democracy to yield such voter apathy. The reality is that it is probably a good thing that a vast majority of Americans decided to stay home.

As an eligible voter, there are few greater disservices that you can do for our democracy than the casting of an uninformed vote. If you plan on going into the voting booth and reading the short blurbs next to each candidate on your sample ballot in order to make up your mind, stay home. If you only know about one race, don't feel obligated to vote for all the others - save your time.

We all have an obligation to our country to be responsible voters. Sadly, for a great majority of Americans, this means abstaining from the political process.

This is crucial on ballot items such as bond proposals that require a 55 or two-thirds percent 'yea' vote to pass. While an irresponsible voter may assume that his or her vote will not cause any harm as it will likely be cancelled out by an opposite yet equally uninformed vote, such is not the case on these supramajority items. As more uninformed votes are cast, the pool of votes is watered down by ignorance and whim, making it much more difficult for the informed and popular outcome to be reached.

Mindsets toward Voting

Voting is a contest of relative gains and losses. What is gained by one voter is lost by another. Money spent on healthcare, cannot be spent on transportation. A tax cut for the wealthy cannot become welfare for the poor. Given that, there are two basic mindsets that people take into the voting booth: selfish and societal.

Selfish voters operate on the mindset: "what will x do for me?" This is the simplest mindset requiring the least bit of thinking or societal consciousness. These citizens will vote for whatever gives them any advantage, even if it comes at a greater disadvantage to others. Though we may not admit that we feel this way about society, this self-centered convention is the way many of us end up making our choices when it comes time to vote.

Selfish voters opt for tax cuts and instant gratification while continually ignoring the environment (CA prop. 7, 1998 - fail), the rights of foreigners (CA prop. 187, 1994 - fail), the rights of homosexuals (CA prop. 22, 2000 - fail), those less fortunate (CA prop. 145, 1990 - fail) - in short, the world they live in. Given the opportunity to improve the average quality of life, these citizens vote no.

On the other hand, societal voters have a broad, civic-minded outlook on voting: "will the gain I receive be worth the loss experienced by a fellow citizen?" It takes time and an understanding of the issues and the candidates to make these decisions. Only through this process of decision-making can society be improved. It is clear that improvements in society yield improvements in the quality of life for all.

There is only one reason not to be a societal voter. If you are disadvantaged, less fortunate or poor, you should vote with your own interests foremost. After all, improving your life should be everyone's priority. By voting selfishly, you will be voting alongside those who want to improve society.

Voting is your opportunity to submit personal informed views to the government in the hopes of creating a better society. If you understand the issues and are familiar with the candidates, please vote. And if you vote, please consider the relative gains and losses your vote will communicate. If not, please do not add your misguided voice into the mix. You will just take away the voice of someone who fulfilled his or her obligation as a responsible voter.