The rational model doesn’t hold for people who aren’t interested in the public good. “If you only care about yourself, you might as well stay home,” Edlin says. The rational model suggests that in large elections, the chance that your vote will count and the potential benefits you personally stand to gain are so small that it’s hardly worth the 15 minutes it may take to vote. The same holds true for landslide elections, where the outcome is clear, says Edlin.