It is not important to vote

If you live in a democratic country it is not important whether or not you vote, which is not to say that the right to vote is unimportant. When it comes to supermarkets, it matters to me that there is competition between them for my business. That said there is no need for me to frequently check the prices of given products in each of the shops near me. By not making an effort to find the best bargains it could cost me more than a few percent of my salary as I waste money that could have been saved.

On the other hand, the last time I voted I was living in the UK and there I had a choice between the two parties. The main difference that I could see was that one was going to put up tax by a couple percent to fund an improved health service. To me I wasn't something that mattered much to me. Even if the politicians kept their word after elections, for many people life goes on very much the same whether one party gets in or another.

However, as a general rule, people are power hungry and politicians are no exception. By having a democracy politicians are motivated to please the people, well at least to please the people that vote, or more specifically the swing voters. Those who consistently vote along given party lines aren't really participating and more than the non-voters are.

It is important that people have the power to vote out politicians that don't do well, but whether one member of the population actually votes doesn't make a difference.