Should I Vote?

Scripturally speaking, if given the choice between two bad candidates, one PERHAPS worse than the other, should one vote for the lesser of two evils or is it permissible to leave the outcome in His hands and refuse to participate? * Is it possible that He is presenting us with two bad candidates in order that His will be done? I am really internally divided on this question.

On the one hand, I am almost positive that one of them will be the ruination of this country. On the other hand, I feel in my heart that the other is lying about his true beliefs and will take the country on the same path as the other, or at least to the same destination.

Cliff C.

Dear Cliff,

We would like to broaden your question. Essentially, we see you asking when it is better to do nothing rather than actively support something which contains questionable elements.

A gem of ancient Jewish wisdom states, “Silence is the equivalent of acquiescence.” Not voting is not a passive choice; it is an active one. Your non-vote for whoever loses the election is, in fact, a vote for the winning candidate. If he or she is a worse choice, then you helped that campaign.

We absolutely agree that God is in control and the final decider as to who wins elections and who inherits monarchies. We also believe that He responds to our actions. So, while all is in His Hands, we have a responsibility to do our part.

Within politics and indeed, in all human affairs, there is never a perfect choice. As the great Thomas Sowell says, “There are no solutions, only trade-offs.” Perfection is limited to God alone. It is our obligation to educate ourselves and do the best we can to make a choice. In the election you mention, it seems that, based on past performance you expect one candidate to oppose your values and harm your country. The other candidate may or may not be more aligned with you. In a case such as that, we aren’t big fans of acting in accordance with what one feels in one’s heart. It is disheartening to be unenthusiastic about both options but each of us still needs to assert our God- given ability to choose and decide; we must make a choice. We would be remiss not to mention that our more politically minded teachings may be helpful, and that they are on sale right now in the hopes that they help Happy Warriors think about the questions they should be asking themselves as they make political decisions.

*This question surfaced from our Ask the Rabbi question backlog. While it wasn’t written this election cycle, we think it is relevant.

Claim your vote,

Rabbi Daniel and Susan Lapin

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