One Voter’s Decision – Not To

Sitting casually inside the Fort Lauderdale International Airport, just hours before polls closed on Election Day, one Boston resident said she is completely satisfied with the decision she made in the historical 2008 election — none. She didn’t vote.

“I feel it would be hypocritical, because I don’t feel like either one of the candidates is qualified,” said the 34-year-old who identified herself as Roxanne.

In fact, Roxanne has never exercised her right to vote.

“I always thought that my vote wouldn’t really make a difference anyway. I know it might

sound ignorant. But I really don’t,” she said.

In recent elections, only about 50% of eligible voters actually voted. This year, registered

voters turned out in record numbers for early voting, and numbers were expected to reach record-breaking levels on election day. Still though, many eligible voters make the decision not to vote

for a number of reasons ranging from distrust in the voting system to disinterest in general.

“Bottom line is, I don’t like either of them,” Roxanne said referring to Barack Obama and John McCain.

Roxanne, who works for a major financial services company, said she recognizes the immense job the next Commander and Chief has ahead of him, especially with the current economic situation, yet, she could not bring herself to decide on the right man for the job.

Last year, Florida Senator Mike Bennett (R) proposed a bill – SB 494 – that would add an “I choose not to vote” option on congressional ballots, explaining that the option would give uninformed or disenfranchised voters a way to intentionally select none of the candidates, while still exercising their right to vote. The bill, which never made it to law, received mixed reviews.

While some voters feel they can’t decide on a preferred candidate, others just lose patience with the process. One voter left the lengthy line at a Hollywood polling station Tuesday with the intentions of going shopping instead and maybe trying again later.

“I’m not waiting three hours to vote,” she said. “Would you?”

By Shannon Severance