Patriotic Quotes About Voting and Democracy

Our latest collection of quotes about voting and democracy on Everyday Power.

Voting is a big part of our democracy. Many things in the country are decided by voting and elections. It’s, therefore, surprising that many people choose to stay away from the ballot; even though they could determine the future of the country.

Although many citizens may feel as if their vote doesn’t really count, there are plenty of reasons you should regularly hit the polls. No matter what side of the political divide you subscribe to, your voice is an important one.

Voting is a crucial, meaningful way to express yourself and support the issues you care about. It gives you the ability to choose who is in office and have a say on what goes on in the political world.

To help highlight its importance, below are some powerful quotes about voting.  We hope they’ll give you the inspiration and motivation to vote and be engaged in our democracy.

Patriotic quotes about voting and democracy

1. “We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” – Thomas Jefferson

2. “Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

3. “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” – Abraham Lincoln

4. “Voting is the expression of our commitment to ourselves, one another, this country and this world.” – Sharon Salzberg

5. “Somewhere inside of all of us is the power to change the world.” – Roald Dahl

6. “Too many people fought too hard to make sure all citizens of all colors, races, ethnicities, genders, and abilities can vote to think that not voting somehow sends a message.” – Luis Gutierrez

7. “The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.” – John F. Kennedy

8. “Voting is the most precious right of every citizen, and we have a moral obligation to ensure the integrity of our voting process.” – Hillary Clinton

9. “Bad officials are elected by good citizens who don’t vote.” – George Jean Nathan

10. “Democracy is not just the right to vote, it is the right to live in dignity.”― Naomi Klein

You might also like these powerful political quotes that show all perspectives.

Powerful voting quotes to inspire patriotism

11. “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” – Plato

12. “Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”― Abraham Lincoln

13. “Voting is a civic sacrament.” – Theodore Hesburgh

14. “A man without a vote is a man without protection.”― Lyndon B. Johnson

15. “If you don’t vote, you lose the right to complain.” – George Carlin

16. “By voting, we add our voice to the chorus that forms opinions and the basis for actions.” – Jens Stoltenberg

17. “A man without a vote is a man without protection.” – Lyndon B. Johnson

18. “Resistance isn’t enough. If we want change, we have to get out the vote.”― DaShanne Stokes

19. “Someone struggled for your right to vote. Use it.” – Susan B. Anthony

20. “Remember, it is not about voting for the perfect candidate – there is no such thing. Presidents are human.” – Michelle Obama

More quotes about voting

21. “Voting is not only our right—it is our power.” – Loung Ung

22. “Talk is cheap, voting is free; take it to the polls…”― Nanette L. Avery

23. “Elections belong to the people.” – Abraham Lincoln

24. “Voting is as much an emotional act as it is an intellectual one.” – Monica Crowley

25. “The future of this republic is in the hands of the American voter.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

26. “Democracy is about voting and it’s about a majority vote. And it’s time that we started exercising the Democratic process.” – Debbie Stabenow

27. “Every election is determined by the people who show up.” – Larry J. Sabato

28. “The good thing about democracy is that every vote counts. The problem with democracy is that every vote counts.”― Charbel Tadros

29. “Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you.” – Pericles

30. “Not voting is not a protest. It is a surrender.” –  Keith Ellison

Voting quotes to inspire and motivate you

31. “Anyone who thinks he’s too small to make a difference has never been bit by a mosquito”, I’d tell people.”
― Jeannette Walls

32. “If American women would increase their voting turnout by 10 percent, I think we would see an end to all of the budget cuts in programs benefiting women and children.” — Coretta Scott King

33. “Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.” – John Adams

34. “Ten men shouting will control ten thousand who choose to remain silent.”― Joseph J. Haeggquist

35. “We can all agree on the importance of voting.” – Jenna Bush

36. “We’re very pleased. The most important thing is voters know exactly what they’re voting on.” – Dyana Mason

37. “The greatest threats to Democracy are comfort and apathy.”― T. Rafael Cimino

38. “There’s no such thing as a vote that doesn’t matter.”― Barack Obama

39. “I believe that voting is the first act of building a community as well as building a country.” – John Ensign

40. “The measure of choosing well, is, whether a man likes and finds good in what he has chosen.” – Charles Lamb

More Quotes about voting and democracy

41. “I would like to be a part, as much as I can, of the voting process,” – Kim Cattrall

42. “Voting is fundamental in our democracy. It has yielded enormous returns.” – Arlen Specter

43. “The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.” — Lyndon B. Johnson

44. “Voting is an individual, personal thing.” – Hill Harper

45. “The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.” – John F Kennedy

46. “Voting is the foundational act that breathes life into the principle of the consent of the governed.” – DeForest Soaries

47. “The power of choosing good and evil is within the reach of all.” – Origen

48. “Democracy is not simply a license to indulge individual whims and proclivities. It is also holding oneself accountable to some reasonable degree for the conditions of peace and chaos that impact the lives of those who inhabit one’s beloved extended community.”― Aberjhani

49. “With the right to vote, our choice should be for the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us.” – Monica Johnson

50. “Voter apathy is a civic abdication.”― Charles M. Blow

Inspirational quotes about voting and democracy

51. “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” ― Winston S. Churchill

52. “People shouldn’t be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.” ― Alan Moore

53. “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt

54. “The first duty of a man is to think for himself” ― Jose Marti

55. “Voting gives us an opportunity to choose from options that were chosen for us.” ― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

56. “If voting made any difference they wouldn’t let us do it.” ― Mark Twain

57. “I love voting day. I love the sight of my fellow citizens lining up to make their voices heard.” — Beth Broderick

58. “Being adequately informed is a democratic duty, just as the vote is a democratic right. A misinformed electorate, voting without knowledge, is not a true democracy.” — Jay Griffiths

59. “Let the people decide whom to vote for, who has more authority. And only people, only our citizens, are able to place the final emphasis, voting for this or that person or political force, or rejecting it. That’s democracy.” — Dmitry Medvedev

60. “Polls can change; people’s opinions can change. Voting intentions can change, and I think it would be a silly leader, a silly political party, that would assume that we have it sewn up.” — Nicola Sturgeon

Thoughtful quotes about voting

61. “Bad officials are the ones elected by good citizens who do not vote.” –
George Jean Nathan

62. “Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

63. “Democracy is never a thing done. Democracy is always something that a nation must be doing.” – Archibald MacLeish

64. “Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.” – Reinhold Niebuhr

65. “Democracy is based upon the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people.” – Harry Emerson Fosdick

66. “It’s not the voting that’s democracy; it’s the counting.” – Tom Stoppard

67. “The primal principle of democracy is the worth and dignity of the individual.” – Edward Bellamy

68. “Democracy is necessary to peace and to undermining the forces of terrorism.” – Benazir Bhutto

69. “The road to democracy may be winding and is like a river taking many curves, but eventually the river will reach the ocean.” – Chen Shui-bian

70. “In a democracy, everyone has the right to be represented, even the jerks.” – Chris Patten

More quotes about voting

71. “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.” – Mark Twain

72. “There is no flag large enough to cover the flag of killing innocent people.” – Howard Zinn

73. “A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.” – Edward Abbey

74. “It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen.” – Aristotle

75. “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it.” – Mark Twain

76. “I should like to be able to love my country and still love justice.” – Albert Camus

77. “A love for tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril.” – Winston S. Churchill

78. “Patriots always talk of dying for their country but never of killing for their country.” – Bertrand Russell

79. “In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it.” – Barack Obama

80. “You’ll never have a quiet world till you knock the patriotism out of the human race.” – George Bernard Shaw

Did you enjoy these quotes about voting?

Voting is your choice. It’s your opportunity to back the candidates you think can effect the changes you desire. Whether or not you participate in the elections, you can be sure that the political officials elected into office and the policies they implement will impact your life in the future.

If you care about public affairs, then it’s your civic duty to go and express yourself at the polls. Hopefully, these voting quotes have inspired patriotism and encouraged you to exercise your democratic right.

Did you enjoy these quotes about voting? Which of the quotes was your favorite? Tell us in the comment section below. We would love to hear all about it.