If so, why? If not, why not?
Early Retirement Extreme Forums » Lifestyle Questions
Poll: Do you vote?
(32 posts)-
Posted 2 years ago #
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http://forum.earlyretirementextreme.com/topic.php?id=409
Yes, every time.
Posted 2 years ago # -
No.
I can't vote in the US.
I haven't lived in my home country for the past decade.Posted 2 years ago # -
Yes, every time, I feel like it's my duty. I have had friends that have served in armed force, and some have died, so I could have many freedoms. I think by voting, I show that, I care about the freedoms that I have.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I always vote.
I vote against anything that will raise taxes.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I know my vote hardly matters, and the I find all the parties equally useless**, but I vote anyways.
*With the exception of Ron Paul (Although I am Canadian not American). Sometimes the Green Party too.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@gibberade
As I've said in a previous post, the most important reason to choose even one of the lesser of two (or more) evils, i.e. crappy candidates, is because he or she will choose the least problematic judges. Federal judges serve for life. If a wingnut gets appointed, it can be doing damage fifty years later. I don't know if that's true in Canada, but you also share a common law system and judges have a huge impact on that through the precedent value of their case decisions.Since I turned 18, I have missed only one by-election that determined only local candidates and issues. I regret that a bit, but at least it didn't concern anyone who could appoint a wingnut judge.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I vote. Though, not much to vote for in this election where I'm located.
I vote for anyone willing to out spend everyone else and who wants to raise taxes...a lot.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Yes, even if it doesn't matter, I still want my voice heard.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Now that election day is over (for the most part), here's my answer: I turned 18 a few weeks ago, so I could have voted today, but I didn't, and I don't think I will in the future.
People more eloquent than I have written an explanation here: http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/33587/why-you-shouldnt-vote-ever/
excerpt:
"Do not let others saddle you with guilt for exercising your right of refusal. Instead of voting, why not take a more direct path of action in your community by volunteering your time by helping a literacy organization, for instance. Teach creative writing so a generation will rise who can speak truth to power. Educate others about the real stories behind history that our education system cannot and will not (by government sanction) teach. Volunteer your time at a food pantry. Work for lower rent in your neighborhood, like James Sullivan would have you do. Organize with others to combat racial or other social injustices in your neighborhood."Posted 2 years ago # -
Yes i voted. It takes very little time to vote especially if you do it absentee.
The link you posted wasn't very convincing and just seemed like needless whining (or grandstanding to get web traffic). I consider voting to be both an obligation and a priveledge. No the system isn't perfect but not voting isn't going to make it any better. And voting doesn't prevent you from being a good citizen in any of the other ways commented in the article.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Obligation?
How is voting going to make the system better? If you vote, you work from within the system. If the system's broken fundamentally...voting doesn't change anything.
Posted 2 years ago # -
"Yes, even if it doesn't matter, I still want my voice heard."
In the past few elections, there have been some extremely close decisions. Coupled with the winner-take-all design, this means that every vote is important. For example, Florida in 2000 was decided by 537 votes and new mexico by 366 votes (see http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/2000presgeresults.htm ).
Posted 2 years ago # -
Even though just about everybody I voted for lost I take perverse pride in the fact that I vote my beliefs and the results be damned.
djc
Posted 2 years ago # -
What sucks is not being able to vote for anyone with your values, and it's not like I have weird values. I would happy with someone who cuts spending, creates a balanced budget, and keeps us out of useless wars. Not a lot to ask for, but still impossible to find.
Posted 2 years ago # -
In theory, I'd consider voting on a local issue if it's something direct like a yes or no to backyard chickens. I will not vote for a person to "represent" me.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I not only vote, I started running a local polling place as well.
Not voting does not harm the system. Refusing to do a tiny amount of good just because it isn't solving all problems is a ridiculous excuse. There is no reason a person couldn't be actively involved in the community AND vote. If you don't vote for someone to represent you, someone will still represent you - it just may be someone you like even less.
More and more places are adopting alternative voting systems, such as ranked choice voting, just instituted in my home town (Oakland) which allows you to vote your conscious AND vote for the lesser of two evils. How did a system as entrenched as primary followed by winner-take-all general elections get charged? Yep, the voters decided to put it in place. And the first time it was put to the test, it worked - the corrupt career politician with a massive budget was beaten by a low-budget progressive by the 2nd place votes.
No, one vote doesn't count. Just like one person driving one car doesn't create air pollution or deplete oil. But elections are decided by a whole lot of individuals. That's what society is. A lot of individuals.
On the other hand, all of you who don't vote make my vote count that much more, so, thats ok, don't bother.
Posted 2 years ago # -
How does voting do a tiny amount of good?
Posted 2 years ago # -
" How does voting do a tiny amount of good? "
Regardless of what they say, R's and D's do pretty much the same thing when they are elected. The controversial issues that politicians use to define themselves and generate excitement seldom if ever get voted into law. From that perspective, it is useless to vote.
However, you can impose term limits on them by always voting against the incumbent regardless of party. This would actually work if a large chunk of non voters did this. I think government would then be substantially better.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I don't understand you guys who are complaining about limited choices. Every time I have voted there has always been a blank line where I can write in an infinite number of choices.
The limitation is collectively self-imposed.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Actually, there are significant measurable differences in the policies of democrats and republicans. For evidence, see the charts here: http://www.myspace.com/pyrococcus_furiosus/blog/151368966 (complete with references). Or consider the policies put in place by Franklin Roosevelt vs Ronald Regan.
However, even if the policy differences really were negligible, we don't just vote for presidents. There is an independent governor, 2 members of congress who are neither R nor D, as well as 66 members of state legislators. The more local the race, the more chance a 3rd party has a shot. There are green mayors and libertarian county council members throughout the country.
Given that nearly a quarter of voters are independent or 3rd party, those numbers could clearly be a lot higher if those voters would actually vote!And aside from all that, voting isn't just about electing people either. All states have some degree of direct democracy, and half of them have citizen initiated votes on proposed laws. Even if you are in a state that doesn't, most localities (city or county) have initiative, referendum and/or recall power in the direct hands of the voters. Elected officials do not always get their way on issues that go up for popular vote. By not voting, you are choosing to give even more power to the very officials you distrust.
Posted 2 years ago # -
"All states have some degree of direct democracy, and half of them have citizen initiated votes on proposed laws. "
When I first came to the US/California I thought this was a great idea. However, now I'm not so sure seeing how much it is abused.
Posted 2 years ago # -
"When I first came to the US/California I thought this was a great idea. However, now I'm not so sure seeing how much it is abused."
Yeah.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Granted, democracy is only as good as the people who vote, and sometimes people are downright stupid.
unfortunately, the only alternatives are anarchy and dictatorship, or some combination of the 3. They all have their pluses and minuses.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I'm anarcho-capitalist of the Rothbardian variety, and I'm hiding in a tax heaven abroad. As a result, both for ideological and practical reasons, I haven't voted for many years and intend to keep it that way.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I vote on local things... Every time I vote in a federal election I feel ashamed for having participated in what is a charade.
I also feel D and R have lost virtually all meaning and behave like each other once in office... Just look at the last two presidents. R triples size of F. govt, spends many multiples of D predecessor, begs to sign gun control in lame duck. D starts several new wars, adds troops to war promised to end, insane assault on civil liberties.
It's a joke... Guess I'll "throw my vote away" by not participating in a lie and writing in the only logical candidate.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Voting is like when you were a kid and you wanted to wear the pink ballerina costume to school but your mom made you pick between the overalls and the paisley dress and called it empowering you by giving you choices.
I don't want any of these idiots to govern me. I wouldn't even want smart people who I agreed with to govern me. I want to govern myself.
I do vote on local issues that I have knowledge of - like when I worked with kids who were involved in the court system I voted in judge elections and I was pretty pissed at all the people voting who had never even been to family court and voted in the wrong guy.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Yes, I do.
But I never vote for the "lessor of two evils."
I vote my conscience and I do not compromise. That means that most years, I'm voting for the Libertarian Party candidate, but this year, I'm voting for Ron Paul.
I never have, and never will, vote for someone who does not represent me.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Yes.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Yes, because I enjoy it. And my polling place is only a block from my house and the lines usually are not very long.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Silence is compliance. The alternatives to voting are accepting the decisions chosen by others or revolution... neither of those options are satisfactory, so voting is the correct answer.
Posted 1 year ago # -
@ George, Exactly my thought on it. I don't care what politics you have (ok, I do care) but please vote and vote your conscience. Otherwise we get more of the same each election cycle...
Posted 1 year ago #
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