According to a recent study, these are the top reasons people don’t vote (and some reasons to help change their minds): 

• Don’t like the candidates
  • Nobody is perfect, and no candidate is either.  Find the candidate and the party that – in total – come closest to your ideals.   
• My vote doesn’t matter
  • Read the following examples where a few votes can made all the difference!  It really does matter.
• No time for voting
  • You can vote absentee by mail; early voting covers many days;  and many employers will give time off to vote on election day.  It takes only a few minutes.
• Not interested
  • Don’t care about how much money you pay in taxes?  Don’t care about access to housing, public safety, minimum wage, childcare, health care, the schools??? Governments at all levels can make you life easier or harder. You choose!
• The system is corrupt
  • If you don’t trust the ‘system’ – get involved.  Work the polls or work for a candidate. You’ll see for yourself how the system works. Trust what you know.
• Not registered
  • No excuse in Alaska. If you got a PFD, and you didn’t opt out of voting, then you are already registered.* (*If you turn 18 in the year of the election, you MUST register! If you moved here within the year — you too must register! But easy to do in Alaska – all online.)
• No time for learning / Don’t know the issues or candidates
  • Read, talk to people you respect, join the League of Women Voters. It is impossible to know everything about everyone, but a democracy relies on people making the best decision they can. Don’t let others choose for you. Don’t sell yourself short – VOTE!