[timewizard]

I'd rather have more than 2 parties.

You can vote against people. To me that's a tacit admission that you're accepting the proffer. As there's no way on your vote to indicate that it's a vote of protest vs. a vote of support. The candidate you vote for will see no difference. You'll have reduced your already meager position even further.

I do not accept this.

I mean if you want to get into the anti-democratic nature of the Unit Rule next I'd be happy to oblige you.

Your position is not automatically "good" just because school and MTV told you it was.

[unethical_ban]

A civic duty is not a legal duty. You have the legal right not to vote. My opinion is you are failing your government and your own interests when you don't vote.

I agree that plurality voting is bad. We should have a system where candidates are ranked, so voter sentiment is better expressed and more than two candidates have a chance at winning.

The system we have now needs to be worked, until we get a new system. If you dislike all options equally, then vote for someone else as a protest. If you have a preference of one major candidate over the other, it is in your interest to express that. Sitting at home and doing nothing is the worst.

I challenge you to at least research ranked-pair or ranked choice voting (or any alternative form of voting) and write your city councilman about it. Or contact a voting reform organization to ask how you can help change your city.

[timewizard]

> you are failing your government and your own interests when you don't vote.

This is a representative democracy. How exactly am I "failing my interests" when I don't vote?

[unethical_ban]

I don't see how this being a representative democracy at all implies "not voting" is a wise strategy.

If you have any opinion on the operation of government and you don't express it when asked, please explain how that's beneficial to you.

[sitkack]

You should have to vote, you just don't have to vote for anyone. A blank ballot is still a vote. But you have to show up.

[magicalhippo]

What if you could cast a negative vote?

That is, you could either vote for one candidate, or against one candidate.

[timewizard]

Technically I'd be voting against both.

If enough people do this then the candidates should be thrown out and a new election held.

This would lead to insane chaos but if everyone where an honest actor it could be beautiful.