Understanding the Psychology of Voter Apathy & the Importance of Voting
Leading up to the 2024 election, this concept of voter apathy once again circles the news circuit amidst significant political polarization. What motivates some Americans to avoid the ballot box? Is it simply disillusionment with the democratic process, a lack of trust in government? Perhaps there is something deeper going on behind motivation and behavior.
To understand voter apathy, we also need to explore the drivers of increasingly extreme political polarization in this country.
Psychological Factors
Contributing to Voter Apathy
“Enough People are Getting Out to Vote,
so Why Does My Vote Matter All That Much?”
One suggested cause of voter apathy is the “diffusion of responsibility”, also coined the Political Bystander Effect. Similar to the initial Bystander Effect study by Darley and Latane in 1968, this theory suggests that some people don’t participate in civic engagement because they assume that others have already taken action. In the political context, this could go a multitude of ways.
For example, assuming from pre-election polls that your favored candidate will win in a landslide may make someone less likely to go vote - they think the rest of America’s eligible voters secured a victory. This can also happen in the inverse, some may think “why bother” if their preferred candidate is not polling well ahead of election day. This could even come down to one’s perceived political literacy - they don’t feel informed enough on the candidates and policies on the ballot and therefore decide that they’d better not vote at all.
Polarization & Tribalization
There are several factors that polarize groups' thoughts, feelings, and identities when it comes to politics. The effects are twofold: we often either fall into the “us vs them” mentality, or decide to disengage from politics altogether. The latter can be a contributing factor to voter apathy, as these individuals may feel isolated, overwhelmed, and exhausted by the election and would rather forgo voting altogether.
What is Tribalization?
As humans, we have a strong tendency to form groups and group affiliations. This can be based on a range of identities - including gender, race/ethnicity, nationality, religion, or even sports teams. These markers of community have been shown to impact our behavior - brain imaging shows that we display greater empathy when we see someone of our own group (ingroup) hurt as compared to someone we don’t see as a member of our group (outgroup).
Tribalism - or ingroups and outgroups - has an evolutionary basis. This concept of building unity as an ingroup has helped humans survive as a species, such as having the cohesion needed to fend off other tribes, predatory animals, or rebuilding after a natural disaster. This concept is not new to the human species, nor inherently bad, however it can become dangerous when we begin to dehumanize those who we don’t see eye-to-eye with.
Tribalism is often stronger in the face of an external threat, whether it is real or perceived. This threat of danger often makes us trust members of our own group more, and have negative perceptions of those not in our group.
How does this relate to the current political landscape? Tribal thinking is often heightened around the time of national elections, especially in the United States. Those who feel apathetic towards voting may feel that they can’t "choose a side" without facing backlash or judgment, or view both political parties as too extreme.
Voter Self-Efficacy
Another factor that may be behind voter apathy is lowered political efficacy. Those who have high self-efficacy in politics not only believe that their vote matters, but that they can understand and impact voter affairs through civic action. Therefore, this perspective suggests that voter apathy is tied to low political self-efficacy - whether it is from rife misinformation related to the democratic process, a lack of trust in elected officials, cynicism about politics as a whole, or feeling disenfranchised as voters. Ultimately, it often leads to political disengagement, with these individuals believing that the current political landscape does not represent their needs. This leads many of them to think: “why bother voting, my vote doesn’t matter anyways”.
Encouraging Voter Participation
So far we have highlighted the barriers that can lead to voter apathy, and the importance of voting, what can we as individuals do to counter voter apathy? Overcoming voter apathy won’t happen overnight, and it will take a concerted effort to empower those who feel disenfranchised and disillusioned with politics. However, we can start by:
Highlight local issues and their significance
The presidency is not the only item on our ballots on November 5th - it also includes direct impacts on the national, state, and local level. The entire U.S. House of Representatives - all 435 seats - will be up for election this November. Over thirty seats of the US Senate are also up for re-election. Not to mention the many states who have governor, state representatives, and local positions on the ballot as well. Folks who may feel apathy toward the presidential race can still be civically engaged by voting on their state and local ballot items.
Recent Pew research shows that nearly all registered voters surveyed (95%) noted more than one issue that was very important to their vote, with 69% noting more than five issues (Nadeem, 2024). Some examples included:
Abortion
Climate Change
Economy
Foreign Policy
Gun Policy
Healthcare
Immigration
Racial and Ethnic Inequality
Supreme Court Appointments
Violent Crime
Increase Voters’ Political Self-Efficacy
Improving voters’ individual sense of importance and ability can help to influence turnout numbers. Additionally, evidence has shown that voters are more motivated to go to the polls if they are asked to discuss their voting plan (ex: how are they getting to their local polling place). Imagining yourself going through with your voter plan is actually correlated with greater voter turnout in real life!
Also, non-partisan groups like Ballotpedia not only can show you what is on the ballot based on your zipcode, but also can give more information on the individual candidates themselves, their stances, and even if they've been endorsed by other past elected officials. This can be an easy tool to help voters who may feel uninformed about who (or what) is on their ballot.
Promote Voter Registration and Accessibility
Community outreach and education
Participate in voter registration drives
Apply to volunteer at your local polling station on Election day.
Resist Tribalism and “Us vs Them” Mentality
Exercise Some Skepticism: Remember that when these primitive instincts are activated, critical thinking skills are lowered. It is impossible for the political leaders and media you identify with to always be right and the other side to always be wrong. Exercise some skepticism, especially when a message encourages fear of the “other” side.
Call in, not out: Encourage peoples’ sense of civic duty, talk about the positive qualities of our communities, what can be achieved by working together, and promoting pro-social behavior and engagement.
Engage in Your Local Community: Everyday we interact civilly with people who hold different views than ourselves - they could be at our jobs, schools, religious services, or even our neighbors. To put it plainly: “You can go to the gym, share a meal, talk about art and science, or do yard work with people who hold different political views”
Be informed, not overwhelmed.
Cable news in the U.S. often focuses on a few subjects and floods you with essentially 24/7 constant political commentary. Being too engrossed in the political media you consume not only leads to echo chambers and increases tribal thinking, but is also emotionally exhausting and can lead to voter apathy and political disengagement. Finding a balance of news sources and not staying glued to our screens are two ways to avoid being stuck in a limited perspective of the world that thrives off of our fear with negative headlines.
Voter apathy is a complex issue with no single solution. However, by understanding its underlying causes and actively working to address them, we can begin to reinvigorate our democracy. It requires a collective effort from everyone - politicians, community leaders, educators, and, most importantly, the voters themselves. Only then can we ensure a truly representative and functional democracy.
While the last three national elections (2018, 2020, 2022) have seen the highest voter turnout in recent decades, almost a third (33%) of registered voters stayed home in the historic 2020 presidential election. The 2018 and 2022 midterms saw even lower numbers, 49% and 46% turnout respectively. Using these suggested strategies to combat voter apathy may, in turn, galvanize non-voters to change their perspectives and decide to make a difference at the ballot on November 5th.
In spite of voter turnout increasing, election margins have also been extremely close. Every vote is crucial and studies have shown that various demographic groups have the power to sway election outcomes, and that engagement can be disparate among these critical groups. For example, 41 Million Members of Gen Z Will Be Eligible to Vote in 2024, with 8 million being new voters and 45% being young People of Color (Tufts).
Ultimately, we all have choices to make beyond who is on the ballot. We can choose to succumb to fear or anger about politics– or we can use that energy toward positive political activism, productive conversations across the aisle, and making an effort to learn more about the individuals and topics on your ballot.
Remember, your vote is your voice. Let it be heard!
