Did you vote?

[GRB]

I voted but it was like spitting into a gale force wind being that I am in NY state.

 

[Glockfan.45]

Yes I did. I like to complain .

 

[Brad686]

I did not, I'm not registered in the county I currently live in and never got an absentee ballot

 

[shaggycat]

If you don't vote then you can't complain about who's in office.

My thoughts exactly. It is hypocrytical to knock the government when you do not take advantage of your oppportunity to change said government.

I voted because I care who is in office and because people have died to protect that right of mine to vote.

It is disrespectful, IMO, to all those who fought for our liberty and freedom to not take advantage of the right for which they fought.

 

[bigun15]

Didn't vote. There's why. Pax said it for me.

I expect that some under-age people will explain they didn't vote because they are under age.

 

[velojym]

It was the usual Red Team vs. Blue Team crap, all the same to me, and I don't vote for the 'lesser of two evils' as it's still showing support for evil.
If there'd been a 'none of the above' choice, I might have showed up to vote that 'party line'.
"If you don't vote, you can't complain..." whatever. So, the Bill o' Rights only applies if you prequalify. Of course, the logical extension there would apply to sexual preference, religion, and skin color... some "free country", eh?

 

[Avenger29]

I voted, first large election that I could vote for. Previously, I voted for a local and state primary. I turned 18 last March, and registered to vote the day after my birthday (bought ammo on my birthday, though). I would like to say that I was disappointed that I did not have an independent canidate to vote for in some elections.

One thing I would like to see changed is the elimination of Straight-party voting. It would force people to read the names on the ballot and select each one carefully, instead of blindly choosing...

I also would like to see some restrictions on voting, too...And I do believe that if you cannot work a simple punch ballot, you are too stupid to vote...

Some state elections did come down to small numbers, so your vote does count!

 

[springmom]

I always vote, unless it's something like the school board elections. I almost never know anybody running, and have no clue who they are, usually. I should, I know, but I don't.

But any state or national election, I vote. Too many men (and women) have died so that I might keep that right for me not to exercise it.

Springmom

 

[swan hunter]

Never miss an opertunity to vote

sometimes, I have to hold my nose to vote but I still manage to go for the lesser of the evils...Also, I would never waste a vote on a third party candidate that doesn't stand a chance of winning...Might as well vote for the Democrat!

 

[tellner]

Voted. Phone banked. Organized. Celebrated.

 

[Autolycus]

I did not vote for any of the judges since I did not know their politics.

In all other things I voted. However I know my vote made little difference. In the majority of the elections we had I voted Green Party over Republicans or Democrats. I just want to see another option on the ballot.

If there were only Republicans or Democrats I wrote in a name. For example I voted for Michael Jordan, Phil Collins, and Donald Duck. I dont care for either of those to parties and the party of my choice, the Libertarian Party, was not running a candidate I voted for someone who is a lesser evil than the 2 major parties.

If there was no oponent to the incumbent I wrote them in.

Say what you will but I feel that since I made the effort to go out and exercise my right to vote. Whaty pisses me off is I have a friend who complains about everything yet he chooses not to get off his ass and vote.

 

[stevelyn]

I voted. I always do in every election.

I even reminded co-workers and neighbors they should vote, but I guess some had better things to do.

In my particular district, out of all the eligible voters, only about 40% turned out to vote. The community's numbers were even more dismal. No wonder we're swirling around the bowl of the turlet.

 

[real_name]

Yes in the election.
Thus, Yes in this thread.

I'm a single issue voter.
I have one question for candidates.
"Do you believe in the Rapture?"
If they answer 'Yes' then I vote elsewhere.

 

[Henry Bowman]

Personally, I think one thing America needs is a campaign to encourage people not to vote in ignorance.

Pax - You may not realize how good you have it there. The Washington Voter's Pamphlet is one of the best ever expenditures of tax money, in my opinion. Now that I'm back in Ohio -- with no such guide -- it makes being an informed voter much harder.

 

[Geno]

Yes

There were several hot-botton items on the ballot in Michigan. I was raised believing, if you don't vote, you have no voice. If you have no voice, you can't complain, or support. In fact, it is by voting that we express ourselves. That's my rationale.

Doc2005

 

[Cowboybootnut]

You should always try to vote, no matter who you support. Too many men and women have sacrificed for the right.

 

[Dmack_901]

I was about to not vote, not because I didn't want to, but because it would have been an hour drive home and another hour back, and I hadn't researched the cantidates, but then I came on THR.

And I saw a "Are you ging to vote poll", and I realised how much I hate people who complain, but don't even vote. I remembered the hipocrasy of it. I remembered the words, "In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury." And I realised that at no time could I, in good concious, oppose any unconstitutional or immoral laws/acts if I did not also sincerely exhaust all measures of correction already in place.

 

[Durruti]

I didn't vote. Part of it is because there aren't politicians out there who agree with me and because I have a moral problem with the mere existence of certain political offices.

Perhaps the stronger argument for why I didn't vote is because an individual vote is worthless. I don't mean that it's worth very little, I mean that it's literally worthless. Our voting system is set up as a winner-take-all system. If someone wins 54% of the vote, that candidate doesn't get 54% of the office, s/he gets 100% of the office. That means that an individual vote can only count if the votes would have been tied otherwise. That simply doesn't happen.

If I had voted last Tuesday, the difference in the results would have been zero. I don't mean that it would have been a very small amount, I mean it literally would have been zero. So I feel, if it doesn't make a difference (even a small one) why do it? That type of thinking is a problem we economics people have

And no, I feel no moral compunction with regard to complaining about a government that fails to allow me the ability to make even a very small difference with my vote. I'll keep complaining despite the fact that I don't make this meaningless gesture twice a year.

 

[The Deer Hunter]

cant yet

 

[Monkeyleg]

"I'll keep complaining despite the fact that I don't make this meaningless gesture twice a year."

You either live in Chicago, or a state I'm not familiar with.

Better you stayed home, though, and not voted.

Sigh...

 

[Durruti]

You either live in Chicago, or a state I'm not familiar with.

I live in Ohio, but my point is, it doesn't matter where you live. An action can only be meaningful if things would have been different had the action not happened. Voting with the majority doesn't make you vote meaningful because nothing would have changed had you not voted.

And yes, for all you philosophy folks out there, I'm a consequentialist, not a deontologist

 

[Nightfall]

Of course I voted, I'd feel guilty complaining about government the rest of the year if I didn't.

 

[ksnecktieman]

Dirruti???

You are in the majority in this country. No place in this country did half of eligible voters bother to vote. I hope you used the time wisely, how much time do you figure? The time it would take to eat at a fast food joint?

As long as the majority feel this way, the party with the best "get out the vote" program will win.

Or the "hot button" issues that bring in voters will put candidates in office.

I vote every election. My vote for governor was wasted. I was voting for a candidate rated A by the NRA, against the incumbent, rated C- by the NRA. (How could they rate her C- when she vetoed our ccw law three times, and had to be overridden to get it as law?). When there are three challengers to an incumbent, the incumbent almost always wins.

I personally choose to be a Citizen, and not a Serf. Freedom involves duties like, obey the law, voting, jury duty, sometimes military service. Freedom has never been, and it is not now, "free".

I trust all of you that joined the majority with Dirruti are happy with the government the rest of us picked for you. I can say that I did my best to improve things.

 

[TCB in TN]

I voted!

Proud to have helped keep another real liberal (H. Ford Junior) out of the Senate. Not so happy that I did it by voting in what is in all likelyhood another Rino or at least a very middle of the road republican. But Hopefully he will be an even lesser evil than first blush seems. After all voting for the lesser of two evils, is still lesser............ right???

 

[MD_Willington]

Nope

I'm an immigrant alien in the US on a greencard, not allowed to vote, it is a deportable offense... and I don't plan on being deported.