Nonvoters speak, but not at polls

Some were broken-hearted supporters of Al Gore who think his election was stolen back in 2000.

Some were Republicans who didn't think their vote would count in Sen. Barack Obama's home state. And one clung to a theory that the government was complicit in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on America.

They were not planning to vote – thus becoming members of Chicago's Coalition of the Unwilling.

"After 9/11 I lost faith in the entire system," said the conspiracy theorist, who declined to be identified while lounging at a bar in Wrigleyville. "When I saw them murder American citizens on national T.V. – that's when I got out."

Others, such as Dan Temple, 45, a small business man, didn't see the point in casting a ballot.

"Like my votes going to count here because I would've voted Republican anyway," said Temple, sitting on a barstool in Lakeview. "Barack Obama has got this state locked."

He also thought that by not voting, he could avoid being called for jury duty.

Joe Nitti said he'd voted for Al Gore only to see Gore win the popular vote and still lose the election.

"Eight years ago they wasted my time down there," Nitti said. "Gore won that election."

For most Americans, politics is not a central part of their lives, said Professor Kay Schlozman, who teaches political science at Boston College. Wealth, education [1] level and age are related to voter turnout.

New voters in the electorate tend not participate in great numbers at first. Schlozman said when women got the right to vote, they didn't exercise it immediately.

"As you get into the habit and you get used to it, you turn out more," she said.

Non-voters such as Nitti may have less company this election. The past two presidential elections have seen voter turnout trending upwards. Demographic groups that in previous election years haven't shown up at the polls in great numbers, such as young voters, have done so more in recent elections.

In 2004, over 121 million people cast votes in the election between President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. The percentage of voters who went to the polls was higher than in any election since 1968, at 60.7 percent.

Indeed in one North Side Chicago area, only one man out of nearly 40 people asked said he would not vote. He wanted to, he said, but he couldn't because he was an ex-convict.

Whatever reasons non-voters such as Dan Temple give, James Doherty doesn't buy them. He's Temple's neighbor.  

"I think he's wrong," said Doherty as he sat at a stool next to Temple. "It doesn't matter if you're right or wrong, you always vote.  It's our right."