OPINION: Maybe not everyone should vote

All the politicians currently demanding proof of citizenship to vote are on the right track, but I’m thinking that maybe they aren’t going far enough. How about this: In order to vote, you have to prove that you can pass the test for American citizenship. Give it a go at americanhistory.si.edu/citizenship/test. You’ll find 10 simple questions and you only need to get six correct to pass. (The online test is multiple choice, but in real-life an immigrant applying for naturalization would need to actually know the answer.) Before you ask, yes, I took the test three times in a row and aced it every time. It’s not that hard.

I know the idea of encouraging people not to vote is blasphemy, but is it really that unreasonable to limit the vote to people willing to make a bare minimum effort to learn the basics of our nation’s history and government? Should a person be voting if they don’t even comprehend the significance of doing so? And why should a vote grounded in ignorance be worth as much as one based on careful research and deliberation?

We treat our votes too cheaply. Something is generally only given out freely when it’s of little or no worth. While I do believe that every adult citizen should have the opportunity to earn their vote, to give power over the leadership of an organization to people clueless about its purpose and functioning would be considered madness in any other context. And rightly so. Should people who don’t watch football have a say in choosing coaches and starting lineups? Would we let people who don’t know what a company does help choose the board of directors? Obviously not, but that’s currently how voting works in this country. Following November’s election, trending Google searches included “what’s a tariff” and “how do I change my vote.” The sad truth is, many voters don’t understand how voting works or even what they’re voting for.

Without basic civic education, the rituals and practices of democracy become meaningless. The essence of our form of government is self-rule, yet when citizens don’t care enough to get politically informed, democracy ceases being the will of the people and becomes instead the will of whichever faction of the educated elite — who very much do care — is most effective at manipulating the masses.

Sadly, we’ve gotten used to seeing the government as an abstract and ominous force apart from everyday life. But the American government is made of American people. We are the government. And that’s the American promise that’s been lost — that everyone gets a seat at the table and has a stake in the game. Instead of being citizens actively shaping the public domain, we treat the government like one more corporation and accept our own role as passive consumers. People are politically oblivious because they’ve come to believe that government has nothing to do with them.

We can get our democracy back. Not by force or violence — that’s just stupid. No, by caring enough to get involved with others to find common ground and solutions to shared dilemmas. To love your country is to take seriously your role in shaping it. Like it or not, the most essential act of patriotism is to buckle down and get educated about civics, history, government and philosophy.

So, get involved or don’t. But, if you don’t care enough to study up on who and what you’re voting for, your vote is nothing but electoral contamination. You’re either picking randomly or voting the way someone else wants you to. Either way, there’s a good chance you’re voting against your own interests and doing more harm than good. An uninformed vote is worse than no vote.

Personally, I do want every American to vote, but I also think it’s reasonable to expect them to know enough about it that they’re not just adding noise to the system. Voting purely for the sake of voting is meaningless and even harmful to the republic. To be meaningful, a vote must be grounded in a commitment to doing what’s best for community and country, and that begins with learning how our government operates and what effect your vote might have. And if you’re not willing to do that, and would rather leave the decision making to others, that’s fine. But don’t vote if you don’t know what you’re voting for. If you don’t care, stay out of the game.

Urie is a lifelong Idahoan and graduate of the University of Idaho. He lives in Moscow with his wife and two children. You can find his writing on Substack (hopeanyway.substack.com) or you can email him at ryanthomasurie@gmail.com.