Who said “All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge…”?

Verified

Henry David Thoreau. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceCivil Disobedience (1849)

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“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong.”
— Henry David Thoreau
VerifiedCivil Disobedience (1849) · evidenceVoting

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Civil Disobedience (1849).

APA

Thoreau, H. D. (n.d.). All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/41663-all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like/

MLA

Thoreau, Henry David. “All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/41663-all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Thoreau, Henry David. “All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/41663-all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like/.

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