Bad officials are the ones elected by good citizens who do not vote.
—George Jean Nathan (1882–1958) American Drama Critic, Editor
A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won’t cross the street to vote in a national election.
—Burton Hillis (William E. Vaughan) (1915–77) American Columnist, Author
Elections are won by men and women chiefly because most people vote against somebody rather than for somebody.
—Franklin P. Adams (1881–1960) American Columnist, Radio Personality, Author
I always voted at my party’s call, and I never thought of thinking for myself at all.
—W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) English Dramatist, Librettist, Poet, Illustrator
Elections are held to delude the populace into believing that they are participating in government.
—Gerald F. Lieberman
There is no city in the United States in which I can get a warmer welcome and fewer votes than Columbia, Ohio.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
A straw vote only shows which way the hot air blows.
—O. Henry (William Sydney Porter) (1862–1910) American Writer of Short Stories
In every election in American history both parties have their cliches. The party that has the cliches that ring true wins.
—Newt Gingrich (b.1943) American Politician
Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good.
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
Votes should be weighed, not counted.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
I’m not an old, experienced hand at politics. But I am now seasoned enough to have learned that the hardest thing about any political campaign is how to win without proving that you are unworthy of winning.
—Adlai Stevenson (1900–65) American Diplomat, Politician, Orator
The effort to calculate exactly what the voters want at each particular moment leaves out of account the fact that when they are troubled the thing the voters most want is to be told what to want.
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974) American Journalist, Political Commentator, Writer
All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
I never vote for anyone. I always vote against.
—W. C. Fields (1880–1946) American Actor, Comedian, Writer
There isn’t any finer folks living than a Republican that votes the Democratic ticket.
—Will Rogers (1879–1935) American Actor, Rancher, Humorist
Which one of the three candidates would you want your daughter to marry?
—Ross Perot (1930–2019) American Businessman
An election is a moral horror, as bad as a battle except for the blood; a mud bath for every soul concerned in it.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
You can milk a cow the wrong way once and still be a farmer, but vote the wrong way on a water tower and you can be in trouble.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
Finishing second in the Olympics gets you silver. Finishing second in politics gets you oblivion.
—Richard Nixon (1913–94) American Head of State, Lawyer
When he first ran for office, he appealed to the voters: “I never stole anything in my life. All I ask is a chance.”
—Unknown
To make democracy work, we must be a notion of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.
—Louis L’Amour (1908–88) American Novelist, Short-story Writer
I’m so insane, I voted for Eisenhower. Oh yeah, well I’m so insane, I voted for Eisenhower TWICE!
—Ken Kesey (1935–2001) American Novelist, Essayist, Short Story Writer
The Republicans have their splits right after election and Democrats have theirs just before an election.
—Will Rogers (1879–1935) American Actor, Rancher, Humorist
There is no excitement anywhere in the world, short of war, to match the excitement of the American presidential campaign.
—Theodore H. White (1915–86) American Journalist, Historian, Novelist
The margin is narrow, but the responsibility is clear.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
Vote: the instrument and symbol of a freeman’s power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
When the leaders choose to make themselves bidders at an auction of popularity, their talents, in the construction of the state, will be of no service. They will become flatterers instead of legislators; the instruments, not the guides, of the people.
—Edmund Burke (1729–97) British Philosopher, Statesman
The people who cast the votes don’t decide an election, the people who count the votes do.
—Joseph Stalin (1878–1953) Soviet Leader
Those who stay away from the election think that one vote will do no good: ‘Tis but one step more to think one vote will do no harm.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Where annual elections end where slavery begins.
—John Quincy Adams (1767–1848) Sixth President of the USA
The only thing we learn from new elections is we learned nothing from the old.
—U.S. Proverb
The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.
—Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–73) American Head of State, Political leader
American youth attributes much more importance to arriving at driver’s license age than at voting age.
—Marshall Mcluhan (1911–80) Canadian Writer, Thinker, Educator
Voting is simply a way of determining which side is the stronger without putting it to the test of fighting
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
No matter whom you vote for, the Government always gets in.
—Unknown
Suffrage is the pivotal right.
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906) American Civil Rights Leader
Get all the fools on your side and you can be elected to anything.
—Frank Lane (1896–1981) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
Perhaps America will one day go fascist democratically, by popular vote.
—William L. Shirer (1904–93) American Journalist, Broadcaster, Author
Clever and attractive women do not want to vote; they are willing to let men govern as long as they govern men.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Our American heritage is threatened as much by our own indifference as it is by the most unscrupulous office or by the most powerful foreign threat. The future of this republic is in the hands of the American voter.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969) American Head of State, Military Leader
There can no longer be anyone too poor to vote.
—Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–73) American Head of State, Political leader
The idea that you can merchandise candidates for high office like breakfast cereal—that you can gather votes like box tops—is, I think, the ultimate indignity to the democratic process.
—Adlai Stevenson (1900–65) American Diplomat, Politician, Orator
I have just received the following wire from my generous Daddy. It says, “Dear Jack: Don’t buy a single vote more than is necessary. I’ll be damned if I am going to pay for a landslide.”
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
In times of stress and strain, people will vote.
—Unknown
Voters don’t decide issues, they decide who will decide issues.
—George Will (b.1941) American Columnist, Journalist, Writer
It makes no difference whom you vote for—the two parties are really one party representing four percent of the people.
—Gore Vidal (1925–48) American Novelist, Essayist, Journalist, Playwright
Perhaps the fact that we have seen millions voting themselves into complete dependence on a tyrant has made our generation understand that to choose one.
—Friedrich Hayek (1899–1992) British Economist, Social Philosopher
Always vote for a principle, though you vote alone, and you may cherish the sweet reflection that your vote is never lost.
—John Quincy Adams (1767–1848) Sixth President of the USA