Voting - Why dont you vote?

[DrugstoreCowboy]

After discussing this with devonin, we came to the conclusion that this could be a good critical thinking thread.

Voting.

Do you vote for a president?

I ask this for a school assignment really, but why don't you vote, if you don't? I'm looking for specific reasons, other than "I'm not of age" etc.

I personally don't vote. I feel like my one vote doesn't count. With the electoral college and the way that works, it totally doesn't appeal to me to bother wasting my time.

What do you guys think?

[atalkingcow]

I don't vote, and here's why.

Electoral College!

It seems to me that while they are "expected" and "supposed" to vote the same way the majority of their home state did...They really Don't have to.

At All.

Primary example of why this system fails would be Bush V Gore.

The people voted for GORE!!!

And umm...who's president?

[Relambrien]

Well actually, the electors DID vote for who their state voted for. However, it just so happened that the electoral votes assigned to each state ended up putting Bush as the winner, even though Gore won the popular vote. It's kind of like this:

Say you have 500,000 people in Washington and 700,000 people in Oregon (just bear with me, it's an example). 325,000 people in each state vote for Candidate A, the rest for Candidate B. Thus, Candidate A has 650,000 votes, and Candidate B has 550,000 votes.

Candidate A wins Washington, however Candidate B wins Oregon. Oregon has more people than Washington, so they have more electoral votes. Candidate B has just won the election.

It's still a bad system, but not because the electors have a choice for who to vote for - they really don't.

Anyway, when I come of age, I'm going to vote. I don't think my vote will have much of an impact, but at least I know I'm doing everything I can to make my country go in the direction I want. If I chose not to vote, I would have no right complaining when something happens that doesn't appeal to me. By not voting, you agree to accept the outcome of the election, whatever it may be, without incident. You're saying "I don't care who wins." For if you did, you would vote for the one you want to win.

It's the same principle as in economic trade - whenever you make a trade, you do so because you feel the value of the items in question are equal or in your favor. Even if you consider something "too expensive" or "more expensive than it's worth," your payment for the item shows that you believe it is -worth- buying at that price.

There is a good question to be raised, though: what's the point of the electoral college? With the accuracy and speed at which nationwide votes can be tallied in modern times, having representatives just for the sake of condensing the number of voters is unnecessary. That leaves the other reason for the establishment of the electoral college: can the average American be trusted with the decision of who becomes President?

Now, I've always been a staunch believer that, "If you can't trust the citizens to elect the President themselves, why can they vote at all? If they're not intelligent enough to make a proper decision, and so leave the job to electors, how can they be intelligent enough to elect any other representative?"

[sexyinpink]

Bush became president because the Supreme Court said that he won Florida but he really didn't

back to topic: i wouldn't vote because all politicians are grimy

[Squeek]

I've voted several times, and I'll continue to vote.

I realize that the Presidential vote doesn't matter, but that doesn't mean you can't vote for Senator, Governor, etc.

And hey, if we have yet another popular vote vs. electoral vote result, maybe they might do something about the system.

[Rubin0]

The upcoming presidential elections will be the first time I ever voted. I've never voted in any other election because I honestly don't keep up with politics. I don't feel that it's right to pick a random name out of a hat because I'm ignorant. Is that a good reason not to vote? No. Should I make more of an effort and keep up with current events? Yes.

I will be following the presidential campaign, though. Even if my vote "doesn't count" I think I should at least demonstrate some appreciation for the fact that women fought tooth and nail for the right to vote less than a century ago.

[DayMan951]

My dad doesn't vote because he gets jury duty every time he does. This year will be the first time I get to vote, and I plan on doing so.

[sarahxjane]

I am unable to vote for the President.

As for other elections, there haven't been any since I have come of age.

I think that something as important as voting for President should be really thought about.
Sure, you're only one vote of millions.
But it's a vote, nonetheless.

Many others have chosen that one person to rule their country.
And those final numbers effect the entire planet.

I think that everyone should vote.
Not for what their friends vote for, but for who you believe will make the changes that you want to see.

I am partial to Hilary because she is a female.
I think that she would make some crucial changes.
I'll admit, I haven't a clue about what she is promising.
Though, I would look into it before I did vote - if I was a US citizen.


Sure, one vote may not mean the difference between candidates.
But why refuse to vote in the first place?

I heard somewhere ( through very 'reliable' statistics, mind you ) that most of those who don't vote are the people who have just come of age.


I don't see how you can just waste a vote.
It's giving you a voice.

Isn't that what most young people strive for?

[Rubin0]

I like the idea of having a woman as president. Really. I'm all for the feminist stuff and crap. But I don't know if right now is the right time to be fighting the feminist movement when our economy is failing and there is a war going on. If I'm going to vote for her, it's going to be because she is going to fix everything that Bush has ****ed up. I don't know if she can do that. I don't know if Obama can either. I need to do my research. All I know is that if I vote for Clinton, it won't be based on the fact that she is a woman.

[Relambrien]

Originally Posted by sarahxjane

Isn't that what most young people strive for?

Yes, it is. And when you feel like your voice is being drowned out by 299,999,999 other voices, it feels like you don't have much of a voice at all. It's quite discouraging actually.

[DrugstoreCowboy]

Keep the comments coming guys and girls.

Thanks too.

However, like Relambrien said, we do want a voice. Its just our voice isnt heard.

People would argue that if everyone didn't vote, then your vote would matter, but thats not going to happen. People are going to continue to vote and the electoral college is going to continue to redirect the popular vote, which in my mind, gives me no reason to vote.

Anybody that doesn't vote because they're just lazy?

[Tasselfoot]

i don't vote because i just don't care about politics. that and i feel my vote doesn't matter. and, on the smaller issues (the ones where local groups run ads about Prop this and whatever)... I'm not informed enough there to make a sound decision, so why make one.

If there was an issue that was to be voted upon that I had specific and direct interest/benefit/injury from, then I'd vote on it. Until it directly has an impact on me, I will continue not to care.

[Reach]

I vote. However, I don't see why half the time. The majority of people vote based on things that have nothing to do about the real politics and what the person plans to do once they're in power. Most people vote in a whimsical fashion, knowing nothing about the candidate they're voting for, and it completely destroys the only power a democracy has, since it just becomes a high school style popularity contest.

Also, on numerous occasions I did not want any of the potential candidates to win, which also poses a problem >_> since it's essentially a vote for the best ****ty prime minister then.

[sumzup]

Originally Posted by Relambrien

That leaves the other reason for the establishment of the electoral college: can the average American be trusted with the decision of who becomes President?

I never really understood this. The electors, nowadays at least, vote for whoever won the state (unless you're in Maine or Nebraska, where a winner-take-all system is not in place) based on the popular vote in that state. Therefore, you really are trusting the average American to make a good decision, just obfuscating the process along the way and allowing technicalities to make one candidate win over another.

The electoral college is extremely outdated and really serves no purpose in today's elections. Sure, when it was first established it may have been necessary, but now it isn't. The main arguments for the electoral college center around putting all of the states on a balanced scale, but in today's federal government, it is less about people from different states voting and more about people from the entire nation voting.

Personally, when I am able to vote, I will. This is the only chance average people have to effect changes in national policy, and it shouldn't be thrown away lightly.

As a side note, I'm really irritated with people who support Hillary because she's a woman (my mom, for example). Electing her for the sake of putting a woman in the White House defeats the whole point of the system. One should make an educated decision based on the candidates' principles, positions on issues, etc. If you still decide to vote for Hillary after considering that, more power to you. But making a decision based on gender/race is pure idiocy. (the same logic can apply to Barack Obama being black)

[devonin]

As a side note, I'm really irritated with people who support Hillary because she's a woman (my mom, for example). Electing her for the sake of putting a woman in the White House defeats the whole point of the system. One should make an educated decision based on the candidates' principles, positions on issues, etc.

This is mostly an issue now during primaries when the parties still haven't settled on one candidate. Statistically speaking, the more candidates there are, the more likely the average american is to pick one based on something arbitrary, so you get a lot of people liking or disliking candidates based on one issue or quality they possess.

Theoretically, once it is down to two people, more of their actual position on issues should begin to factor into popular opinion.

[arsonistsgetallthegirls]

Originally Posted by devonin

This is mostly an issue now during primaries when the parties still haven't settled on one candidate. Statistically speaking, the more candidates there are, the more likely the average american is to pick one based on something arbitrary, so you get a lot of people liking or disliking candidates based on one issue or quality they possess.

Theoretically, once it is down to two people, more of their actual position on issues should begin to factor into popular opinion.

I realize that this isn't the thread to voice my political opinion, but I cringe every time i hear someone say "I'm voting for Hillary because she's a woman" or "Obama's got my vote because he's black". Race and sex will end up being a major factor in this election, and it's sad that voters would be so bias to something so trivial. People need to look past color and sex when choosing a leader. People also need to look past these people's promises, especialy those for "change", and look at their past political records. Actions speak infinitely louder than words, but todays voters must be deaf. Change isn't always good.

[devonin]

People need to look past color and sex when choosing a leader.

Don't underestimate the importance and value to the future of the country that electing a woman or a black man into the presidency would have. The sooner one of them gets in, the sooner it becomes more acceptable to more people for future ones to also run and potentially get elected.

Once the "The president is a white christian man" statement stops being universally true, the door for political advancement for more and more people opens.

Obviously america shouldn't elect Clinton or Obama solely because of that, but I think to insist that it has or should have no impact at all on their candidacy is overly idealistic for right now.

[tea_green]

I'm not able to vote this year, but I made it a mission to vote and encourage people to vote. IMO, the vote doesn't matter to me but people fought hard for my right to cast a meaningless vote.

I'm unable to now because I'll be out of the state come election day...

[devonin]

And there are no early polling, or remote polling options available to you?

[Grandiagod]

I cannot in good conscience vote for any of the current front runners because of their views and beliefs.

Voting for anyone besides the front runners pretty much guarantees throwing your vote away so I don't bother.