Canada

I'm a disabled dude with a family. I live on less than half of what is considered extreme poverty for a single person in my area per year not including my wife's income. I have no extra healthcare, dental or vision care and pay out of pocket even though I worked for ~20 years before my disability and was a part of a union. I am not disabled enough according to my government but too disabled to work according to all medical professionals I have seen, so I get no more than basic CPP. I have chronic pain and neurological damage that affects Ballance and muscle control as well as my ability to walk somewhat and do basic tasks. But I can walk and drive and from the outside look "normal" to most people.

My wife works for the federal government in a public facing seasonal position. It is a contracted position now, that used to be permanent. This avoids unions, healthcare payments, full time employment, benefits and more. Again, she works for our federal government but there is not one politician suggesting that this is no better than what private industry does to people by treating them like wage slaves.

There is no politician in this country that cares about me and my family. I have three choices on my federal ballot. The politicians would all rather I be dead. I can MAID whenever I like but I am not permitted respect or a decent life and neither are my kids. My wife doesn't deserve a full time job or benefits that would really help pull us out of poverty even though she is highly educated in her field and uses it for her work for our government. Even if I could try to work my way out of my hole I lose all support when I hit a very low income threshold ($6900/year) and should I somehow work past that threshold by convincing a public employee to allow me, on a case by case basis, I can be assured to be watched extremely closely as if I were commiting a crime and having to report regularly not just on my taxes on a yearly basis like every other citizen.

I have spoiled every single ballot I have cast for more than a decade in every single election at every single level of politics in Canada and I get derided for it. I voted against fascism this time and held my tongue but you better believe I'm on my MP already. I'm sure my email address will be banned internally and I highly doubt my calls and emails will ever get a response.

People could give a fuck though. They prove it time and time again. Tell me again who I should vote for? And why I should give a fuck about you and your politicians? People have a lot to say but it's all bullshit. They care about themselves.

As of 2022 there are over 320,000 people on CPP disability in the country. It has risen significantly since then. That's certainly not 22 million but we deserve as others do.

Not voting makes it easier for politicians to ignore them.

There's a long history of anarchists who oppose voting

https://libcom.org/article/why-anarchists-dont-vote-elisee-reclus

https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/aotearoa-workers-solidarity-movement-why-we-don-t-vote

https://apps.lib.umich.edu/online-exhibits/exhibits/show/debatedemocracy/anarchism---anti-voting

The anarchist argument is that voting somehow endorses the state and is consent to being governed. It's not a very good argument, but it is an argument nevertheless.