“Voting is not an exercise in futility..get a grip. Of course there is fraud..but we don’t have to worry about being shot while casting a vote or dipping our fingers in blue ink. Treasure what we have.”
I do treasure what we have, and I was not referring to fraud.
If the candidates we have on the ballot represent no material difference and it is perceived that nothing changes by voting, then in the long term that WILL be the end of our system of government. People are not going to volunteer their time, lives, or treasure to defend what they perceive to be a sham.
The percentage of the voting age population who actually bothers to vote has been declining over time (although 2008 was something of a high water mark). Roughly half bother to show up. That’s very low by world standards. Also, take into account the percentage of Americans who actually approve of the job that Congress does. That’s hovering somewhere in the single digits.
Think about that for a moment. 90%+ of the population thinks that their elected representatives are not doing a good job. Heck, you can’t get 90% of Americans to agree on anything, other than perhaps that breathing is a good idea.
Elections have to matter.
Your points are on the mark.
Apathy and poor candidates will be our undoing.