The Liberty Papers

Let’s face it: no matter who you vote for president in this election, it is highly unlikely that your vote will be decisive. It does not matter how much time you invest studying each candidate, the votes cast by those who do not make an effort to inform themselves will count the same. The good news is that the movie Swing Vote is fiction and the ’08 presidential election will not be decided by Bud Johnson.

When put in this perspective, some argue that not dedicating the time and energy to make an informed voting decision for president is rational ignorance (my vote isn’t going to be decisive so why bother?).

If this is the case, why even bother voting at all?

The reason for going through the hassle of filling out a ballot is very, very, simple: there is so much more to this election than choosing the next president. While your vote for president will be negligible, your votes for your next U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, State Representative, State Senator, Governor, etc. by comparison will not. Perhaps the best argument for voting: ballot measures.

Perhaps the greatest threat to our freedom is neither John McCain nor Barack Obama but the tyrants next door. Don’t get me wrong, your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members in your daily life are probably very nice people. But grant these same very nice people the power to use the police power of government to impose their collective will to plunder the pockets of others or to prohibit activities they happen to disagree with, these same very nice people can be every bit the threat to life, liberty, or property as the most Machiavellian politician.

NEXT: Why Libertarians Should Vote: Threats to Liberty from the Left and the Right on the Colorado Ballot (Part 2 of 3)