Even if there is no acceptable choice on the ballot, and even if one has little information, it is still important to vote. Our democracy is only as good as the leaders and laws that govern it, and each of us has a responsibility to our nation to help elect good leaders and enact good laws. At a minimum, this means voting. Our right to participate in this democracy is also an obligation.

A lack of information should not deter us. We may know little about some items on the ballot. In this election, we are faced with two dozen propositions alone. Many people do not have time to study all 166 pages of the California Voter Information Guide – and that is just for the statewide measures. Ideally, we would all be discussing the finer points of Surplus Property Sales (Prop. 60A), but this is the real world.

This is where endorsements help. For those of us not conversant on Tribal Gaming Contracts (Prop. 70), we can seek guidance from those who share values similar to ours. The California Democratic Party analyzed these ballot measures and supports 60A but opposes 70. If one tends to vote Democratic, it is perfectly reasonable to follow the Democratic Party’s recommendations if there is not enough time to do individual research.

Likewise, on the local races, how many of us have studied the candidates for San Diego Community College Board? Fear not; the San Diego Democratic Club (SDDC) has surveyed the field and recommends William Schwandt and Marty Block. In fact, the SDDC publishes a listing of all of its endorsements prior to every election.

Not every organization takes a position on every race. A group may stay out of a race for political reasons or because its members cannot agree on whom to endorse. In that case, the voter may have to do more research or turn to other groups for guidance. But asking a voter to spend additional time looking into one or two races is not an unreasonable demand of democracy. Studying every race would be ideal, but relying on endorsements is an acceptable second choice that should enable us to cast at least a moderately informed vote on everything on the ballot.

A lack of good candidates should not keep us from voting, either. Too many people cite disgust with the candidates as a reason for not voting at all. If we believe that all politicians are crooks and that crooks are unacceptable candidates, it logically follows that all politicians are unacceptable candidates. If we refuse to vote for unacceptable candidates, then we have neatly extricated ourselves from a key civic duty.

Our obligation to help choose our leaders often entails picking between less-than-ideal candidates. One of them is going to win, and it is our responsibility to vote for the candidate we think will do the best job or cause the least damage.

There are a handful of GLBT Democrats who may not vote for president in this election because neither candidate has endorsed same-sex marriage. In their view, this means neither candidate is acceptable. Withholding their votes accomplishes nothing, however. It only means they did not contribute to the decision as to which candidate will lead the country.

There are some GLBT Republicans who may not vote for president because they dislike George W. Bush but are reluctant to vote for a Democrat. We Kerry supporters may be glad that some Republicans may not vote. But our duty to democracy applies regardless of political affiliation, and it is just as important for Republicans to vote as it is for Democrats. Hopefully in this election, GLBT Republicans will enjoy a stiff drink and then vote for Kerry, but even if not, they still ought to vote.

Finally, it is especially important for the GLBT community to vote. We are more likely to receive equal treatment if we are politically strong. A common gauge of political strength is the extent to which a group of people votes. If national exit polls find that a significant number of voters are GLBT, national political leaders will take notice. If there is an especially large voter turnout in the GLBT-concentrated precincts of Hillcrest, North Park and surrounding neighborhoods, local politicians will take heed. One of the quickest ways to win recognition of our full equality is for each of us to vote. The most important part of political activism is just showing up at the polls.