Voting has been and continues to be a controversial topic within progressive spaces online and in real-life discussions. A majority of people who lean towards the left have either complicated views on voting or have completely separated themselves from even thinking about participating in the American electoral system. It’s a fact that quite a lot of people understand.
Many groups within the United States have felt disenfranchised and unheard. Add to the growing percentage of distrust that average Americans have of the federal government due to blatant corruption. It’s surprising to see that the country still has a dedicated number of people who show up to the voting booth.
That said, while people on the left have the right to feel what they do about the voting system, to completely deny its worth even now is doing everyone a disservice. The simple fact is that our votes still do matter.
While that might seem outlandish to some, we can see clear examples of this simply by watching the ongoing gerrymandering battle between red and blue states in the past few months. The fact is, when Americans gather together and take a stand by voting, things can work in our favor. The November 2025 elections have been an example of this success. Zohran Mamdani’s ongoing Mayorship in New York City has slowly but surely revived the trust in the power of local politicians and local elections.
When we promote the view of completely disregarding, we lose the bare minimum opportunities of curtailing any regressive and authoritarian policies that could be implemented federally and in our local districts. While there are definitely more things Americans should be doing to promote progressive ideas, voting should be the bare minimum of our civic duties. We are better off, supporting and encouraging people away from voter apathy and into better discussions about our future.
