Don’t Complain If You Didn’t Vote? I Reject That Notion.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these blog posts are those of DeRico Symonds and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated organizations, employers, businesses or institutions. The objective is to spark dialogue, encourage alternative perspectives, and inspire people to think critically.

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#2

Every election cycle, the same phrase echoes across social media timelines, family gatherings, and community forums: “Don’t complain if you didn’t vote.” It’s often said with a tone of moral superiority, as if voting is the only legitimate form of engagement and the only way to earn the right to critique the system.

But I want to challenge that thinking.

This phrase, while often well-intentioned, ignores the deeply rooted reasons why so many people—especially those from marginalized, working-class, and racialized communities—choose not to vote. It’s an oversimplification that dismisses lived experiences, systemic barriers, and historical trauma.

Yes, I understand that the right to vote is sacred. I understand that our ancestors fought and died for it. Black people, Indigenous peoples, and women were beaten, jailed, and killed for the basic right to cast a ballot. In that context, voting becomes a way of honoring those who came before us. I do not take that lightly.

But I also grew up in public housing, in poverty, in a system that never felt like it was built for me. I know what it means to watch elections come and go without anything ever changing for your family or community. I know what it feels like to hear promises from politicians who’ve never set foot in your neighborhood. And I know what it’s like to feel invisible to a system that claims to represent you.

I voted for the first time in 2015. Before that, I was that person who didn’t vote—not because I didn’t care, but because I felt like the system didn’t care about me. That’s not apathy—that’s alienation.

And that’s where I take issue with the phrase “Don’t complain if you didn’t vote.” It assumes that those who don’t vote are lazy, irresponsible, or disengaged. But maybe they’re exhausted. Maybe they’ve been so beaten down by systemic injustice, generational poverty, and broken political promises that voting feels like shouting into the void.

Maybe they’re working two jobs and don’t have the time or energy to research candidates, get to a polling station, or believe in a process that hasn’t brought tangible results. Maybe they’ve been so traumatized by institutions—schools, police, child welfare, the courts—that they don’t see how another layer of governance will do anything different.

And while some will say that voting is the only way to make a difference, I say that’s not the full truth. Change happens in many forms—through protest, organizing, mutual aid, storytelling, and community resilience. People can be engaged in transforming their world and community even if they don’t vote.

So yes, I believe voting is important. I encourage people to vote and to recognize the power in having a voice at the ballot box. But I will not shame those who choose not to. I will not dismiss their pain or experiences. I will not pretend that voting alone is enough to fix everything.

Instead of judgment, we need to ask deeper questions: Why do so many people feel so disillusioned with politics? What can we do to rebuild trust? How do we make the system actually work for everyone—not just those with access and privilege? Where has the system gone so wrong, that people feel it is useless to vote?

Because real democracy doesn’t just show up every four years. It lives in how we listen, how we fight for each other, and how we hold systems accountable—whether we vote or not.