My mom made me vote for Biden on my absentee ballot. What do I do?

  • Thread starter Thread starter LiveSkype
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
L

LiveSkype

Guest
I am a 24 year old who still lives with her parents because I have a disability. Earlier today, my mom got her absentee ballot. Having revived mine earlier, she wanted me to review it so that way we could fill them out together, as she wanted my ballot filled out correctly to not be rejected.
Initially, I wanted to write in the American Solidarity Party candidate Brian Caroll, but my mom said it would be “throwing away my vote”. I said that I didn’t care, as I in good conscience could not vote for either Trump or Biden. I tried to bring up the point that Biden supported abortion, and that I didn’t agree, but my mom (who is more of a cultural Catholic, as I’m the only one in the household who attends Mass) goes on about how she would support it, even though the thought it is personally wrong.
I then tried to bring up the HHS contraceptive Mandate with the Little Sisters of the Poor, and she shot me down on that one, stating that it could open the doors to picking and choosing which services one’s insurance could deny under the label of “religious freedom”.

She went on and on about contraceptives and “all the great things Planned Parenthood does” (which I’ve heard her say time and time again). I couldn’t take arguing with her anymore, so I filled out the circle for Biden, which unfortunately made me feel guilty because I knew that voting for a candidate who supports abortion is a grave sin, even though my mom fails to see this.
Fortunately, the town clerk lives next door to me, so I might ask her to privately get another absentee ballot and shred the one I filled out. I also plan on going to Confession to deal with this.

Any advice?
 
I won’t tell you to vote trump but I will tell you vote prolife. Please if you can have that ballot shred if possible.

Please be a light to your mom. She can agree to disagree agreeably with you on morals and voting.
 
You are an ADULT. Exercise your right to be an adult and vote the way you want. The real question is why you are still, at age 24, being swayed by your mom???
I’m sorry if this sounds harsh, but you’ve got to take responsibility for yourself. If not now, when? It is hard for me to believe that a 24 year old is being forced by their mom to vote a certain way.
 
Last edited:
Disability or not, at 24 years old, you have a right to vote for whoever you want to vote for without interference. Tell your mom to do her own ballot and you will do yours privately. She cannot and should not tell you that you should vote as she says.
 
I share your conviction that a vote for either Trump or Biden is a deeply immoral act. That said, I confess I am a layperson when it comes to voting laws, but I’m fairly certain it’s illegal for anyone, including a parent, to attempt to force you to cast a vote you do not want to cast.
 
RhodesianSon said:
If she’s living with her parents I’d argue they do have a say
Click to expand...
On what possible grounds? If somebody is old enough to vote, they are old enough to decide who to vote for. It would never occur to me to tell another member of my household how to vote. Out of curiosity, if this applies to adult children living with parents, does it also apply to spouses/partners if one of them earns all the money, owns the property, etc? Or other relatives? E.g., when my wife and I lived with my uncle, should he have told us how to vote? I think this could be a slippery slope that ends with restricting voting to property-owning males over the age of 21.
 
I have parents who can be like this. “Honor your father and your mother”… what no one tells you is what 20 years of passive aggressive submarine warfare does to you psychologically. I have a family member who is a marine. They initially moved away from home , MANY states away, so “they couldn’t just show up”. Not exactly a weak person. And after growing up in that environment I can tell you nit many people in my church community would lift a finger to help.

I think we have to face theft the that not everything is cut and dried within the faith in practice, sometimes things don’t go as planned. There is a power dynamic here that could be long lasting, and God fearing.
 
Wrong. Not in the U.S. when it comes to voting. Her parents may have rules in the house, such as curfew, that she agrees to obey since she is in their house, but she is NOT under their rule in terms of her conscience. If you were 24 and your parents told you to do something offensive and potentially a sin, would you do it? If the answer is yes, something is really wrong here.
 
As much as I don’t like Biden, calling voting for him in and of itself a sin is a stretch.
 
Yes, but this is a psychological/emotional issue pertinent to your friend or anyone who is still “subject” to their parents’ emotional control as adults. It is a problem, and they have to deal with it. No one is saying it doesn’t exist, but it is something that needs help. Obviously, the OP reached out for help because she recognizes the situation and will now have to deal with it.
 
It can be, of course, if it is strongly against one’s conscience. It would be for me.
 
I agree with some of what you said. But I’m saying don’t go to hard on the OP. If they are living with their parents, parents which would engage in this type of behavior, it’s nit as simple as “saying no”.

I could say no, and be prepared for, not joking, 24 hours of passive aggressive, them “fixing the relationship”, etc etc etc… After years and years of this your an emotional wreck.

You now throw faith in here and as a child you often have no idea what your rights are. And sadly if I tried to find out ever you get the… “how dare
you go against your PARENTS!..HEATHEN!, PRIDE!” It’s freaking nuts I’m telling you.
 
I understand emotional tyranny. That’s why I moved out at age 18. It sounds like you have experienced it yourself. The only solution is to create a LOT of distance and learn to forge your own life. Above all, take positive steps now to make this happen rather than succumb to victimization, which just reinforces itself.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top