The undecided voter is a lie we tell ourselves every election. They show up on TV, wringing their hands. Campaigns spend millions to convince them.

But they’ve already decided. They just don’t know it yet.

These voters aren’t liars. They believe their own story. But their gut knows the truth, even if their mouth won’t say it.

We love this myth. The media gets its drama. Campaigns get their strategy. And these “undecided” voters get to feel important. It’s a dance that makes everyone happy. Everyone except democracy.

The truth is harder. Most people made their choice long ago. Not with their head, but with their tribe. Their family. Their fears. Their wallet. The rest is just theater.

What matters isn’t the voter still thinking it over. It’s the American who stopped thinking about voting at all. While we chase the undecided, millions have decided to stay home. That’s the real crisis.

Voters do change their minds. But they don’t do it in October because of a TV ad. They do it slowly, when their life changes. When their job vanishes. When their kid gets sick. When their town dries up.

It’s time to kill this myth. Let’s stop pretending elections hang on some mystical group of deep thinkers. They hang on the people who show up.

The undecided voter isn’t torn. They’re just not paying attention. And that’s the biggest problem of all.