After almost 1.5 years of grueling political campaigns, attack ads, scandals and wig jokes, the 2016 U.S. presidential election is coming to a close. Thank whatever deities you deem fit, they all helped out with this one.

But, with this dumpster fire of an election season, we are bound to have this conversation at least five times within the next few weeks.

Person: “UGH! I can’t believe Clinton/Trump won! He/she is going to ruin this country!

Me: “Did you vote?”

Person: “No, but…”

Me: “Then shut up. If you didn’t vote, you don’t get to have an opinion.”

Person: “Nuh-uh! This is America! I have my rights!”

Me: “Yeah, and voting is one of the ones you didn’t exercise. So don’t complain because the candidate you favored didn’t win.”

Person: “But I was busy!”

Me: “Should have gotten an absentee ballot.”

Person: “But I didn’t know I was going to be busy.”
Me: “You were able to fill out the request form and pick up the ballot up until Saturday, Nov. 6.”

Person: “But I didn’t know what to put.”

Me:”You could have gone to the state’s website and typed in your information. They couldn’t have made it easier. Are you even registered to vote?”

Person” “No. The process was too hard.”

Me: “ Are you serious? We’ve watched this train wreck for almost two years and you didn’t register? You could have filled everything out from the comfort of your home! And now you’re complaining about the outcome?”

Person: “Yeah. Because, Clinton/Trump is the worst candidate ever and they’re going to ruin this country because (insert reason with no supporting evidence)”

Me: “Please stop talking to me.”

That’s pretty much verbatim of how each one is going to go. And we all know people like this.

If you didn’t vote on Election Day or didn’t fill out an absentee ballot, I don’t know what to tell you, except for don’t complain. You had every opportunity to get yourself ready and you didn’t.

With the push that has been made this election for people of every single standing, ethnicity and legal voting age (especially millennials), you would have to have a solid reason for not voting.

Like, giving birth. I could understand that.

Maybe if you knew the time frame in which your due date was, you could have filled out an absentee but I won’t hold it against you. Congrats on the child.

Also, don’t stay home or write someone in. Please. You’ve had so much time to research and hear and see what the two candidates support, and you’ve still got some time.

In short: if you didn’t vote, don’t complain. You had ample time to prepare and figure everything out and you decided not to because you were lazy.