Do you vote?

[Brad243480]

I know that HB rarely voted.  Just curious, do you see any reason to vote?  Do you vote for third parties?  Thought it would be an interesting discussion on an HB board.

Personally, I vote only when I really, really like the candidate, otherwise I don't see the point.  That means that basically there is no reason to vote 95% of the time for me.

[MediumTex]

The way most districts are drawn and the way most races are funded, there are not that many competitive races in a given election.

Where I live (Texas), there isn't much to vote on.  My House incumbent is easily re-elected, the Senate races are more spectacles than leadership referenda, the governor races are rarely competitive, and I don't know enough about the local races (and frankly don't care that much) to make an informed decision.

As for the presidential elections, once one understands how the electoral college system works, if you don't live in Ohio, Florida or a couple of other states, there is almost no point in voting.

As an exercise in shaping future governments, I would say that one vote rarely matters.  As an exercise in citizenship, I think it's a great thing to do, though to use HB's terminology I think it is important to view voting as more of a "consumption value" than a "production value."  If you like the way you feel when you vote, then I say vote. 

I have also come to have much less faith in ANY politician in ANY party.  They have all begun to resemble to me a gaggle of well-dressed escapees from a narcissist rehab center.

[Pkg Man]

As for the presidential elections, once one understands how the electoral college system works, if you don't live in Ohio, Florida or a couple of other states, there is almost no point in voting.

Agreed, but please don't throw out the Electoral College.  That is one of the most ingenious items bequeathed upon our country by the Founders, even if most have no idea what it is.

As an exercise in shaping future governments, I would say that one vote rarely matters.  As an exercise in citizenship, I think it's a great thing to do, though to use HB's terminology I think it is important to view voting as more of a "consumption value" than a "production value."  If you like the way you feel when you vote, then I say vote. 

This is also the argument that I use on someone who says I am "throwing my vote away" by voting for the Libertarian candidate.  Even in 2000 in Florida it was about 500 votes that determined the outcome.  It is exceedingly unlikely that the outcome of an election for any major office would be determined by a single vote.

[MarySB]

Well, yeah, but consider this:

As far as the EC goes, many years ago, when I was still in high school, I thought we were way behind the times.  It did not make sense at one time to count individual votes.  Even in the 60's we had the technology to count the popular vote, but that has not come about yet.

If memory serves me, there have been times when the popular vote awarded the office to a different candidate from the EC.

I'm sure it will take an act of Congress...oh, never mind!  Won't happen...

[MediumTex]

Well, yeah, but consider this:

As far as the EC goes, many years ago, when I was still in high school, I thought we were way behind the times.  It did not make sense at one time to count individual votes.  Even in the 60's we had the technology to count the popular vote, but that has not come about yet.

If memory serves me, there have been times when the popular vote awarded the office to a different candidate from the EC.

1888 and 2000, I believe.

In 1960, Kennedy got 112,000 more votes than Nixon out of 68 million that were cast.

I'm sure it will take an act of Congress...oh, never mind!  Won't happen...

A Constitutional amendment would be needed.  And you're right, it won't happen.  We reserve constitutional amendments for important things, like telling people they can't drink alcohol (18th Amendment)...and then telling them they can (21st Amendment).

[Storm]

Personally, I will vote when my vote matters.  I live in a district where the incumbents wield great power and are almost assured of re-election.  There doesn't seem to be much point in voting.  As far as presidential votes go, my state is blue always, so I don't see much point.

However, if there is a ballot initiative like Prop. 19 in California I would definitely vote.  Sometimes important issue votes come up that demand our attention.

[Maestro G]

Personally, I will vote when my vote matters.  I live in a district where the incumbents wield great power and are almost assured of re-election.  There doesn't seem to be much point in voting.  As far as presidential votes go, my state is blue always, so I don't see much point.

However, if there is a ballot initiative like Prop. 19 in California I would definitely vote.  Sometimes important issue votes come up that demand our attention.

Storm,

I would respectfully submit to you that your vote always matters! Incumbents wield great power in your district either because they have persuaded the electorate that their way of governing is preferable, their opponents are historically weak or less effective, or because the electorate has abdicated its responsibility to cast a vote

It's astonishing to me that so many "citizens" (about 60% of eligible voters in a good turnout ) fail to exercise one of their most fundamental rights (if not the most), complain that nothing changes, and then wallow in self pity and apathy !

I think it would be perversely ironic, that on a forum dedicated to the economic, and to a great extent, political and philosophical principals of an individual who not only participated in the process as a presidential candidate and espoused the Libertarian doctrine, that the idea of giving up this fundamental liberty would be a suggested option let alone championed.

In some countries, people die for the right to vote.

Maestro G

[Storm]

Your point is well taken, Maestro G.  I will show up to vote for my incumbents, although the one I really want to vote out (Joe Lieberman) is not up for election this fall.  /sigh

[Maestro G]

Your point is well taken, Maestro G.  I will show up to vote for my incumbents, although the one I really want to vote out (Joe Lieberman) is not up for election this fall.  /sigh

Great! Glad to read this. And yes, I'm with you there: what an enormous disappointment he has been.

Maestro G

[herbgoat]

After I read How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World by Harry Browne, I unregistered to vote. My wife hates this, and eventually I will re-register but I'm happy with my decision.