I am retired...from voting

[Senator]

Aja, I vote and will continue...But in reality for presidential elections only about a half dozen states or so need bother to pull out the ballot boxes. And your state (Texas) and mine (MO) need not bother, lol.

Actually, all states in their entirety matter in the Presidential election.

That was the way it was purposely designed, from the beginning. No one state, via corruption or other means, could distort the election so much that the majority of the votes in that single state cancelled out all the votes from the other states.

In addition, no one politician could bribe a single state, with all the federal dollars coming from the other states, in return for a vote from the people from that favored state.

It seems to work as designed.

 

[Mdlerth]

Doomsday fatigue

2020 will be the most important vote in the history of this country.

I have heard that every election dating back to 1968. That's as far back as I can remember, but I speculate it was being said earlier. One could ponder whether hyperbole might be a factor in low voter turnout.

Consider instead the words of the late Mohandas Gandhi, whose 150th birthday just recently passed: "Be the change you want to see in the world."

 

[Senator]

I have an idea! On every ballot right at the top, there should be 10 selected intelligence/constitutional knowledge questions, if you do not answer them or get less than 5/10 your vote should be voided.

Actually I have always thought a barcode would be good at the top. That way, all ballots get accounted for. Total voters, plus blank ballots, = ballots originally assigned.

At the end of the day, all leftover ballots would get put through the machine as blank ballots and sealed. They would all be time stamped.

Does that ballot reconciliation process happen anyway, but manually?

 

[marko]

The way we look at it is "the closer to home, the more important the vote".

That is, what our mayor decides impacts our life 1000 times more on a day to day basis than what anyone in DC might decide.

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice." - Gary L. Weinrib

 

[timbervest]

I suggest you ask President Al Gore or President Hillary Clinton if this is a good idea.

 

[Major Tom]

I'm going to be a contrarian here...

Some people just shouldn't vote. One lady in line at the polling place explained to my wife that she just went down the list and marked "yes, no, yes, no," alternating until she got to the end. Yes, she did her civic duty and voted. But it probably would have been better for all of us if she hadn't.

Likewise anyone who doesn't make an effort to understand the issues and the candidates before voting. I've been known to leave some ballot questions blank if I just don't feel I'm qualified to decide. Otherwise, I may be supporting something or someone that's against my best interests.

That old saying, "democracy requires an educated electorate" comes to mind. That doesn't mean an elite, ivy-league education. It means you've taken the time to learn how the questions on the ballot may affect you and your community, and genuinely want to contribute to a better society.

If you can't do that, I'd rather you just stay home.

And don't even get me started about those who just vote a straight party line, and support every member of their party, no matter what they do or how damaging their policies are to their constituents.

+1.

Winston Churchill has been quoted as saying,

"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter."

 

[Koolau]

When the Majority of voters can get overruled by an antiquated system.

The list goes on.

One man's antique is another man's sacred scroll, but YMMV.

 

[Beststash]

Aja, I vote and will continue...But in reality for presidential elections only about a half dozen states or so need bother to pull out the ballot boxes. And your state (Texas) and mine (MO) need not bother, lol.

I have been a frustrated voter in Texas since the 90's but I refuse to give up. Texas is an example where changing demographics are affecting the political climate and we are becoming more of a toss-up state in terms of national politics. State politics have major obstacles such as gerrymandering and urban/rural divide but I think that is more of a generational issue. IMO, the most important issue is NEVER GIVING UP which translates to voter turnout!!!

 

[steelyman]

I recall one time (not recently) I did cast a vote in a national election that I later regretted. That realization affected my vote in subsequent elections. I didn’t feel guilt or anything, just that I really hadn’t thought it through.

It’s a good thing that it was just my one vote on balance. Of course my vote didn’t swing any election results but it was worth something, however small, in the bigger picture.

 

[Koolau]

Actually, all states in their entirety matter in the Presidential election.

That was the way it was purposely designed, from the beginning. No one state, via corruption or other means, could distort the election so much that the majority of the votes in that single state cancelled out all the votes from the other states.

In addition, no one politician could bribe a single state, with all the federal dollars coming from the other states, in return for a vote from the people from that favored state.

It seems to work as designed.

+1

Actually, the reason we even HAVE a country (called USA) is BECAUSE of this particular system. Numerous "systems" were considered and rejected. The founders especially and specifically rejected the parliamentary system and went for the (acceptable - as in gag, spit-or-swallow, but finally, grudgingly accept) compromise of a democratic republic - not a pure democracy. The other reason is that we have a Senate, not just a Peoples House - but I may be straying into politics. My intent was strictly history, not politics but YMMV.

 

[Senator]

I don’t care if anyone chooses not to vote, but someone is electing these bozos...

+1.

Winston Churchill has been quoted as saying,

"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter."

Even Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was elected.

 

[rodi]

Thanks for the interesting discussion.