The politicians don't see your non-vote as a protest.
The Republicans party is counting on you to not vote. They need you to not vote so they can push Trump and his rich-people-first policies.
If you want to protest: VOTE.
If you want to see real change in the USA, you need to vote.
Find the candidates in your area who are moving the furthest in the direction you want to go, hold your nose, and vote.
Sitting out the vote does nothing to help anyone.
In the US if you don't vote, most people don't assume you're making a statement. They assume you couldn't be bothered.
The USA isn't a place where your silence on a vote is an effective form of protest. We don't call off the election if the majority of people opt out.
We could have 99% of the population sit out the vote, and the remaining 1% would get to determine who leads the country.