--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People who don't vote have no call on…" description: "\"People who don't vote have no call on political leaders!\" — Marian Wright Edelman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/marian-wright-edelman-2216_leader_people-who-don-t-vote-have-no-call-on-po_1912281.png" --- # People who don't vote have no call on political leaders! ![“People who don't vote have no call on political leaders!” quote by Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/marian-wright-edelman-2216_leader_people-who-don-t-vote-have-no-call-on-po_1912281.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/marian-wright-edelman-2216_leader_people-who-don-t-vote-have-no-call-on-po_1912281.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/marian-wright-edelman-2216_leader_people-who-don-t-vote-have-no-call-on-po_1912281.png) > “People who don't vote have no call on political leaders!” [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Voting is a civic duty; without participation, leaders lack legitimacy. **In simple terms:** Vote or be ignored. Key Takeaway Vote to influence. Themes civic engagement politics empowerment Mood motivational urgent Type activist political When to use this quote - elections - community meetings - policy advocacy Key Concepts democracy representation Questions to Reflect On - What prevents you from voting? - How can marginalized voices be amplified? A Different Perspective Voter apathy can stem from systemic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-leader/) [Political leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-leaders/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) ## Related quotes > [The future lies with those wise political leaders who realize that the great public is interested more in Government than in politics. The growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-future-lies-with-those-wise-political-leaders-who-realize-that/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [As a businessperson, I dont have the power to change the government. That is in the hands of the political leaders. However, as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadashi-yanai/as-a-businessperson-i-dont-have-the-power-to-change-the-government/) [Tadashi Yanai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadashi-yanai/) > [One of the most influential women of the 20th century? Well, that may be overdoing it. When one thinks of really influential women, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/one-of-the-most-influential-women-of-the-20th-century-well-that-may/) [William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/) > [I understand what's going on in people's minds, and I think the political leaders better be asking themselves 'why is it, that Donald Trump,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-lott/i-understand-what-s-going-on-in-people-s-minds-and-i-think-the/) [Trent Lott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-lott/) > [ In Stage I, divorces were not allowed, so men's \[sexual\] affairs did not put women's economic security in jeopardy; in Stage II, affairs could… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/in-stage-i-divorces-were-not-allowed-so-men-s-sexual-affairs-did-not/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [Putin has had many positive experiences working with Western political leaders whose business interests made them more disposed to deal with Russia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/putin-has-had-many-positive-experiences-working-with-western/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I can't vote again ever, so political party is not a relevant thing for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/i-can-t-vote-again-ever-so-political-party-is-not-a-relevant-thing/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > ['Go vote' is a not a political strategy. It's hardly a slogan. Hell, it's not even a good tweet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-king/go-vote-is-a-not-a-political-strategy-it-s-hardly-a-slogan-hell-it-s/) [Shaun King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-king/) > [While you only get to vote in political elections once in a while, you get to vote with your fork three times a day!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randi-zuckerberg/while-you-only-get-to-vote-in-political-elections-once-in-a-while-you/) [Randi Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randi-zuckerberg/) > [It's not my place to tell you whom to vote for, to take any political stand, to tell you what religion to believe in.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sampras/it-s-not-my-place-to-tell-you-whom-to-vote-for-to-take-any-political/) [Pete Sampras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sampras/) > [People who don't vote have no line of credit with people who are elected and thus pose no threat to those who act against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/people-who-don-t-vote-have-no-line-of-credit-with-people-who-are/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [It's the American way: if you don't vote, you don't get to whine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/it-s-the-american-way-if-you-don-t-vote-you-don-t-get-to-whine/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [If you don't vote, you don't count,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-dahmer/if-you-don-t-vote-you-don-t-count/) Vernon Dahmer > [If you think I would have gone to war the way George Bush did, don't vote for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/if-you-think-i-would-have-gone-to-war-the-way-george-bush-did-don-t/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Going back to why people don't vote, I presume the main reason is because they understand without reading political science texts that it doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/going-back-to-why-people-don-t-vote-i-presume-the-main-reason-is/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More by Marian Wright Edelman > [We must always refill and ensure there is a critical mass of leaders and activists committed to nonviolence and racial and economic justice who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-must-always-refill-and-ensure-there-is-a-critical-mass-of-leaders/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [It is utterly exhausting being Black in America - physically, mentally, and emotionally. While many minority groups and women feel similar stress, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/it-is-utterly-exhausting-being-black-in-america-physically-mentally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [Justice is not cheap. Justice is not quick. It is not ever finally achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/justice-is-not-cheap-justice-is-not-quick-it-is-not-ever-finally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [I never thought I was breaking a glass ceiling. I just had to do what I had to do, and it never occurred to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/i-never-thought-i-was-breaking-a-glass-ceiling-i-just-had-to-do-what/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [In my generation, we learned how to be leaders by being exposed to and involved with adults who empowered us and gave us a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/in-my-generation-we-learned-how-to-be-leaders-by-being-exposed-to-and/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [The old notion that children are the private property of parents dies very slowly. In reality, no parent raises a child alone. 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Nobody can do it well alone. And it's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/it-really-takes-a-community-to-raise-children-no-matter-how-much/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [Democracy cannot breathe, indeed will die, if those enjoined to protect it and uphold the laws snuff it out - with no consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/democracy-cannot-breathe-indeed-will-die-if-those-enjoined-to-protect/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [Hunger and malnutrition have devastating consequences for children and have been linked to low birth weight and birth defects, obesity, mental and physical health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/hunger-and-malnutrition-have-devastating-consequences-for-children/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [We're spending, on average, three times more for prison than for public-school pupils. That's the dumbest investment policy. It doesn't make us safer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-re-spending-on-average-three-times-more-for-prison-than-for-public/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [You'd better stay determined, because that's how our ancestors got us where we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/you-d-better-stay-determined-because-that-s-how-our-ancestors-got-us/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) [Explore all 179 Marian Wright Edelman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) ## More Leader quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) > [“A man who saw has turned blind, A hearer deaf, A leader now leads astray!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-lichtheim/a-man-who-saw-has-turned-blind-a-hearer-deaf-a-leader-now-leads-astray/) [Miriam Lichtheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-lichtheim/) > [We're going to create factory jobs for recent immigrants, and Donald Trump is going to take care of them. That's why his numbers, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/we-re-going-to-create-factory-jobs-for-recent-immigrants-and-donald/) [Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/) > [I always wanted someone looking up to me and trying to understand where I'm coming from as a leader. I'm ready for that. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillon-brooks/i-always-wanted-someone-looking-up-to-me-and-trying-to-understand/) [Dillon Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillon-brooks/) > [I really don't think you need a letter on your jersey to be a leader on a hockey club.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-price/i-really-don-t-think-you-need-a-letter-on-your-jersey-to-be-a-leader/) [Carey Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-price/) > [I think leading by example is important, as I know the next generation is watching us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-skolnik/i-think-leading-by-example-is-important-as-i-know-the-next-generation/) [Michael Skolnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-skolnik/) > [Leadership is made for service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-hyles/leadership-is-made-for-service/) [Jack Hyles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-hyles/) > [“All to often, on the long road up, young leaders become servants of what is rather than shapers of what might be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/all-to-often-on-the-long-road-up-young-leaders-become-servants-of/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Notoriously outspoken, his sentences always punctuated with profanities, General George S. Patton was the epitome of what a leader should be like - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/notoriously-outspoken-his-sentences-always-punctuated-with/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [I was born in Cuba. At the age of 14 years of age I was involved in a revolution. We were suffering from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-was-born-in-cuba-at-the-age-of-14-years-of-age-i-was-involved-in-a/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Effective leaders are made, not born. 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