How do we find out why people don't vote?

[mahina]

Unless we can get a whole lot more of our people used to voting every election, things wion’t change for the better. Right?

Changing for the worst is pretty much baked in… Look at this jackass- just in the last couple of days the damage he’s doing to our future health with changing abilities for funding for nurses’ education in coming years. Almost everything he does is obviously designed to hurt us. Son of a bitch.

So why do so many of us not feel the deep need to vote every time?

I understand clearly that the whole Republic machine is decades into trying to keep us from voting. This last bullshit with the bomb threats really took it to a new place, but making us stand in line longer the darker and we are the poorer we are, making it harder and making people afraid now…

Are any studies anybody has seen that credibly help us figure out proportionally how to tackle that.

We have got to get people off the sofa every time.

[pandr32]

1. I heard the excuse "My vote doesn't matter."

Sure they cheat, steal, and manipulate, but we cannot afford defeatism. It is most important for us to overwhelm with our numbers, our will, and refusal to give in or be intimidated.
I told people that claimed one vote isn't going to matter that sometimes it does. I also explained that if other people feel the same way about their vote and don't bother than there are lots of votes lost.
Numbers matter.

[SheltieLover]

2. Another huge problem is that potential voters don't understand civics and/or what's happening in DC

They're too busy scrambling to keep families fed and bills paid.

Not sue how we can counter this, especially with the rotten corporate media sane washing and ignoring virtually every evil thing rethugs are doing.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. There are plenty of reasons why people don't vote -- Pew routinely does research into this.

It’s not seen as urgent or relevant (especially by those who are poorer, less educated, or otherwise marginalized), the candidates aren’t inspiring, and voter suppression are some of the big ones.

[stopdiggin]

4. most non-voters are perfectly willing to tell you why

and the #1 refrain - heard over, and over, and over again is, "Doesn't matter .. they're all the same. "

(even here on DU there resides a deep and abiding cynicism - that the country is 'really' run - by and for 'others'. and that the 'voters' - are mostly just being humored, and placated when deemed necessary.)

[Biophilic]

5. Some, my next door neighbor, just feel entitaled and see no reason to go to the effort to vote or even pay attention.

She's well enough off to do as she pleases and simply doesn't see how it effects her. She also says it's too much trouble. She's not stupid, just oblivious and spoiled.