[pmorici]

Your talk reminded me of the recent BBC interview with Russell Brand where he talks about how he doesn't vote because he feels like the only way to change the system is to not participate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLYcn3PuTTk

[subsystem]

I don't really get the "I'm indifferent so I don't vote" argument. If you're really indifferent you might as well vote as the downside is minimal, while the downside if you're wrong is quite large e.g. someone is manipulating you into not voting. Sometimes the only way to be rational is to act irrationally.

[pmorici]

I think it stems from the belief that both political parties are essentially the same so by voting you are lending legitimacy to the system you view as broken. Think about how when they hold elections in de facto dictatorships how they always tout high voter turn out.

[ajslater]

In, for instance, US presidential elections, unless you live in one of maybe 3 to 5 states the probability of your voting affecting the outcome of the race significantly is near nil.

However I still vote, just to show pollsters what support exists for my (very) minority political positions. Or at list as close as I can get to them with the few minority candidates that make it onto the ballots.