this post was submitted on 28 Feb 2026

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Off My Chest

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Americans who can vote should not complain about representatives unless they vote. (piefed.social)

submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by HubertManne@piefed.social to c/goodoffmychest@lemmy.world

23 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Its the primaries over here and its peoples chance to choose who will run on the democratic ticket in the general election. You may not like the two party system or the lack of rank choice voting but this is peoples chance to determine who might take governement positions. I hope no one who throws out the democrats don't do enough are voting in the primaries because otherwise they are the reason what we get with democrats is what it is. Primaries because its just one party pretty much doubles the value of ones vote and further since they get less turnout it at least doubles it again. So the vote effect is in excess of 3x at a minimum. Citizenship in the us has two repsonsibilities. Voting and jury duty. Both are important to democracy.

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[–] disregardable@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I saw some people on threads in TX who had to wait 2.5 hours in line to vote today. As someone from a real state, where there is never a line in my local neighborhood polling place, that is incomprehensible to me. But you know, voter suppression is a real thing.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 3 points 1 day ago

That is true and they were floating that bill and you know its so they can follow up with not allowing mail in voting or reducing the time for early voting or some other trump.

[–] Dozzi92@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Thanks for relieving yourself of that emotional burden.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago

yeah it was nice to have a community to post to for just that purpose.

[–] PP_BOY_@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yeah I always hate it when teens complain about masked federal agents performing curbside summary executions. I don't care if you have algebra and are only 17, shut up Avelyneigh!

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 2 points 1 day ago

thanks I will edit.

[–] AntiBullyRanger@ani.social 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Can I vote for a Black Panther in 🇺🇲?

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yes you can write it in but there is a caveat with write ins. If they are not officially declared then they do not count the write in. So someone who can't get neough signatures to be listed can still fill out an application to be an official wirte in canidate but they won't count any write ins that are not officially declared.

[–] AntiBullyRanger@ani.social 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

😱 oh no. And this happens all the time in elections‽

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago

Im actually not 100% sure about other states but in mine that is the process for write ins.

[+] chosensilence@pawb.social -9 points 1 day ago (3 children)

it's not about liking or not, it's about refusing to participate in the rigged system any longer. i vote but it is becoming harder and harder for me to personally justify it under technofascist oligarchial American capitalism. i empathize with those who don't vote. everyone knows our two party system is rigged, but it's not that it's merely rigged it's that it doesn't actually function or even exist. it's a one party system and we are being given the illusion of control even at the smallest scale. we have proven over and over again that voting does not result in change. there are ways to ignore the will of the people and we are masters at it here in the US.

additionally, not voting for many is a way to reject American imperialism and global expansion. it doesn't matter if a Dem or a Rep is in office, they are going to support genocidal Israel. there's no compromise worth a human life to folks who aren't voting because of this. it's complicated but i understand it and i can accept it even. the whole "if you don't vote then it's a vote for Candidate A" is nonsensical because it could easily be applied to their opponent, Candidate B.

not voting is itself a political act. it demands of our government to be taken seriously. for the people to be actively listened to and engaged with. our government should earn our cooperation not expect it of us. americans shouldn't be forced into the machine of corrupt democracy to act like worker drones keeping things going. go on and vote, that's your part. fulfill your role.

some say no.

[–] devolution@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Not voting is cowardice and a sign of white proviledge. Some of us had to have our forefathers fight for the right to vote; through lynching, poll tax, dred Scott, and so on.

So some of us can't afford to not vote for survival.

Glad you can be comfortable in your "political act."

[–] chosensilence@pawb.social 1 points 1 day ago

uh lol i vote. it's literally one of the first things i said. i was explaining the rationale behind some non-voters.

[–] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Don't get me wrong, voting for the democrats is technically your best available option for prolonging your survival within the electoral system. However, the Democrats will absolutely betray you as soon as it becomes politically feasible. Look at how they have not only abandoned trans people, but often acted against them in recent years. The machine does not see you as any different even if the people involved sometimes do. Your rights are only protected so long as your identity as a marginalized person is beneficial to them. Should public opinion towards your identity become controversial they will not fight for you. Their #1 goal is to get elected and if protecting your rights does not accomplish that they will no longer pretend they care about you.

Vote for democrats if you feel it will preserve your safety a little longer but engage with alternatives as backup for when they eventually abandon you. Please do not trust people who commit genocide to protect you. Anyone willing to intentionally starve entire countries, put immigrants in concentration camps, and funnel weapons into fascist hands cannot be trusted with your rights. All of those actions have bipartisan support. Please involve yourself with local political organizing and mutual aid programs. It may literally be life and death someday.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yeah but if you refuse to take the one step you have that can influence the way the country is run then don't complain. I don't care how much someone thinks or does not think the system is rigged. If your not participating then figure out how your going to make the change you want. I mean whats the point of complaininng about elections if you think they are rigged. If you feel the electoral system is pointless then you should be working outside the electoral system in whatever way you think appropriate. Whats the point of complaining about something you have decided to have nothing to do with?

[–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's not the symbol of rejection you think it is. It's full on capitulation. It's walking away while your house is on fire, pretending you're going to stop the fire by doing literally nothing about it.

[–] chosensilence@pawb.social 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

it's not to the people who don't vote. you're not going to persuade them morally they have likely done a lot of thinking about their decision. voting forces you participate in American colonialism and they cannot justify that within themselves.

[–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It really doesn't. At all.

[–] chosensilence@pawb.social 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

no, it absolutely does. it gives us a false sense of control and instead of stopping the machine we simply keep it going through broken methods of comfort like voting.

[–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social 1 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (1 children)

Most people that actually know what they're talking about fully and completely understand that voting is hardly even the start of corrective action, let alone the full solution...

[–] chosensilence@pawb.social 1 points 20 hours ago

voting is not going to end capitalism, period. nobody to be taken seriously thinks it will or that it's even possible. voting can be useful at the local level. i don't blame people for not voting in federal elections.