For the past six weeks or so, I’ve been pretty hopeful about the upcoming election. Maybe even optimistic.

When it comes to politics, it’s not a feeling I’ve had in a long time.

Of course, there’s still that little voice in the back of my head wondering when/how everything is going to go south. It’s certainly happened far too often over my lifetime. But, for now, I’ll take the positivity.

According to the political pundits, this election will be determined by those ill-defined creatures call the “undecided” voter. The ones who, even in a year like this one, look at the two candidates and just can’t make up their minds about which would be a better choice.

Or, like the character in the comic at the top, are simply seeking some attention.

However, as I’ve ranted about a few times, election results in the US are not determined by undecided voters.

It’s all about the indifferent voter.

The people who are too busy and can’t be bothered to register and vote. Or declare that their vote doesn’t matter. Or that the candidates are all the same so why bother.

Even worse, a big chunk of that indifferent population includes the clueless who cast their vote for one side, or a third party, to “make a statement”.  Just to mess with the system.

In the 2016 presidential election, the indifferent amounted to more than 40% of those eligible to vote. In 2020, that block declined to 33%. Which, you may have noticed, resulted in much different, and better, outcomes.

Hopefully, the indifferent population in the US will fall again in this election. I don’t expect we will ever get to zero, but having an increasing number of voters paying attention to the serious issues facing this country will be a positive step.

And this election is not something happening in the distant future.

Voting started here in Virginia and a few other states last Friday. Other areas of the country will be joining the party very soon. The elections office says that my ballot in the mail so I will likely have submitted my choices before the end of the week.

Which is the way it should be everywhere: plenty of time to cast your ballot and by mail for anyone who wants that option. We need to remove the impediments and make voting simple.

In a post from last year, I quoted Tom Hanks from a commencement address he gave Harvard and it’s worth including a small bit from that to close this rant.

Everyday, every year, and for every graduating class, there is a choice to be made. It’s the same option for all grown-ups who have to decide to be one of three types of Americans.

Those who embrace liberty and freedom for all.

Those who won’t.

Or those who are indifferent.

Only the first do the work of creating a more perfect union, a nation indivisible. The others get in the way.

Don’t be in that third group. The indifferent. The ones who get in the way. Make a decision and help move this country forward.

By complete coincidence, the comic at the top was in my GoComics subscription feed this morning. It’s the daily offering from the brilliant and long-running strip Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller. The 15 bucks a year (yes, annually!) I pay to get this and my other favorite comics every morning is one of the best bargains on the web.