This election cycle, I won't be shaming anyone for their choice or advocating for any candidates. I will also not be voting. None of this is okay, and I refuse to put my stamp of approval on the process by taking part in it. In past elections, I have used my vote to advocate for a third party and, I admit, have gotten caught up in the narrative of good vs. evil or the lesser evil. Not this time. Make your choice. I'm washing my hands of it. You'll get the leader you deserve.
It seems clear to me that the incumbent is going to lose unless something changes dramatically. The thesis I held in 2016 that America would push the red button because 'self-destruct' seemed a better option than business as usual holds true today but even more so. That big red button is too tempting.
Disillusionment with the System
My disillusionment with the American electoral system has been a long time coming. Each election cycle, the promise of meaningful change dangles in front of us like a carrot on a stick, yet the outcome often feels preordained, with little impact on the fundamental issues plaguing our society. The fervent battles between parties and candidates seem more like a reality TV show than a genuine democratic process. The media amplifies the dichotomy of good vs. evil, lessening our choices to simplistic binaries that do not reflect the complex reality we live in.
This cycle, I choose to step back. My abstention is not born out of apathy but out of a profound sense of protest. I reject the notion that participating in a flawed process is the only way to enact change. My previous attempts to support third-party candidates were driven by hope for a viable alternative, but that hope has been worn thin. The political landscape feels like a never-ending loop, with the same players, the same strategies, and the same disappointments.
Watching from Afar
I will be observing from abroad, a vantage point that provides both clarity and heartbreak. Clarity because distance allows for perspective, heartbreak because my child will remain in the midst of it all. My decision to leave the country once before was driven by the same disillusionment, and my return was motivated by a desire to give my child a choice – the same choice I felt was denied to me. I want her to experience and decide for herself, to have the opportunity to engage or disengage on her own terms.
Yet, the reality upon my return was stark. The illusion of progress was just that – an illusion. The systemic issues, the divisive politics, and the societal fractures had not healed but had deepened. It is like watching a car, held together with duct tape and bubble gum, speeding towards an inevitable crash. The fixes are superficial and temporary, the impending collision unavoidable.
A Symbolic Refusal
By choosing not to vote, I am making a symbolic refusal to endorse a system I no longer believe in. It's a personal protest against the false dichotomy presented to us, the illusion of choice when all options lead to the same broken destination. I understand the arguments for participation – that change can only come from within, that every vote counts, that abstention is a surrender. But I see my refusal as a different kind of engagement, one that challenges the status quo by rejecting it outright.
My decision is not an easy one. It is fraught with concern for the future, for my child, for the country I still care about despite its flaws. I am not advocating for anyone else to follow my path; each person must make their own choice. But for me, this election cycle, I choose to step back, to wash my hands of a process I no longer believe in, and to hope that, in time, a new path forward can be found. One that is not held together by temporary fixes but built on a foundation of genuine integrity and lasting change.