A Conundrum of Mammoth Proportions

For the vast majority of my life, I have prided myself on the neutral stance by which  I've lived regarding politics.  This was due, in very large part, to my firm belief that, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, my loyalty lie with my god, Jehovah, and His "Kingdom" government.  To take sides in human political affairs was tantamount to treason, as I'd already pledged my allegiance to that heavenly government.

Now, things are not so simple.  I am no longer part of the Watchtower organization and have no personal relationship with a god, regardless of the name used in reference to him.  After learning many, many things about the actual history of this planet and civilizations that have lived and died upon it, I now have extreme difficulty in justifying such belief.

So, with no religious arguments at my disposal, I've chosen to continue my neutral stance, only this time for my own reasons.  I've learned about the powers-that-be that are running this country and this planet, and such knowledge has empowered me to non-involvement based on principle:

I cannot, in good conscience, contribute by my vote to the 

propagation of a thoroughly-corrupt system.

However, I do live in this same system and am directly affected by the decisions of those in power.  

This election cycle—unlike any others in my life of which I am aware—is the most important, pivotal moment in US history, and the repercussions will be felt clear to the country's core for decades to come.  With the exception of the Bush v. Gore race, I've paid more attention to politics this year than at any time in my life, and it has become glaringly apparent that this country is tottering on the edge of chaos.  If Romney gets elected, everyone on welfare and disability, every gay man and woman, every woman faced with life-threatening and life-changing decisions, everyone on the edge—or already over the edge—of poverty: we are all screwed!

I am on disability, and I'm gay, and I'm sustained by Social Security at below the poverty level (a trap from which there is no escape for me)...all of what makes me who I am is anathema to Romney and his ilk.  

Is it possible that, if I don't vote and Romney wins the election, I've essentially put a gun to my head?

Is Obama any better, and would we be better off?  Obama has his dark side, too, as evidenced by his putting into law expanded war powers for the president and continuing practices enacted by George W. Bush.  These things are anathema to me.

Regardless of what I do, the choice, from my point of view, comes down to the "lesser of two evils," and that is definitively Obama.

There's also the matter of local elections, whether for people, laws or amendments.  The closer to home these get, the stronger the need for change.  Those elected in our local communities have a far-more-direct influence on our individual lives than Washington, D.C.-bound elected officials.  By not voting, am I preventing my voice from being heard regarding what I need in my life?  Would my voice have any impact whatsoever, and if not, then what's the point??

There are a number of issues on the ballot this year that directly affect me and my friends, like legalization of medical marijuana and equal rights for the gay community.  I am part of that community; I was part of it when I was a Jehovah's Witness, even though I suppressed it for decades and largely ignored the needs of the gay community at large.

As a Witness, one is discouraged from having opinions about political issues, and one certainly does not express any when among other Witnesses.  But I do have opinions which I readily express in conversations with friends, but have never expressed by political action of any kind.  And there is no longer any other government to which I owe fealty, "heavenly" or otherwise.

I am now faced with a conundrum of mammoth proportions:

Should I stick to my principles of non-interference/non-support of a corrupt system, or ignore them for the sake of my voice and that of my friends and family? 

The jury is still out...