To put it simply, I’m afraid I cannot think of one good reason to try and encourage people to vote.

If it’s intended as a way to get people involved and paying attention, it’s completely backwards. Only when people start following and taking an interest on their own should they then be encouraged to vote. And even then, I don’t think anyone should be out actively registering voters.

People who are invested, engaged and following news and politics closely are probably more inclined to vote – on their own, without encouragement. And anyone who is interested in voting will figure out how to register and complete the process.

If someone is not following or interested in the process, why on earth would any of us want them voting?

People who vote because someone gave them a donut and a ride to the voting booth are just like people who get dragged along to a concert they’re not interested in seeing. They inevitably have some of the best seats, they didn’t have to do anything to get a great ticket they don’t really value and they talk through the entire show. Those who sweated to be first in to buy a ticket and have followed the artist closely for years end up having the show ruined by those who thought it’d be a fun way to spend an evening.

And so it goes in American politics. Our representatives are inevitably chosen by people who know nothing about who it is their voting for and what it is the candidates will do. They only know what someone on one side or the other told them as they put them in a bus, drove them to the voting booth and helped them pull the lever.

The other thing I don’t understand about voter registration drives is why in the world, if you’re invested in the future of the country at all, would you take a chance registering someone to vote who might have the opposite agenda from you.

I’m not going to take my time to try and sign up people who are going to vote against what I believe is right. What sense does that make?

We have the right to vote, but we also have the right not to vote. Let people exercise their right, let nature take its course, and let the people who took it upon themselves to follow the issues, figure out when election day is and take some time out of their day to vote decide our elections. Keep the uninvested out of the elections.

Stop voter registration and let voters who are naturally engaged determine the outcome. People get what they deserve, right?

- My name is Jon Friesch, and it’s about time we stop letting the disengaged determine our elections.