Poll of the Day > Are you registered to vote?

(+) Yeah! (+)

If not, what's your excuse? Besides being a cold-blooded commie.
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Yep.
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I don't give a shit about politics. Why register for something I don't give a shit about.

No, just too lazy to bother
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Yes but I vote third party so I may as well not be
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Yes
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Been registered since I turned 18, and I've voted in every single election since then.

Been registered since 2010.
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Yes, in my home state. No in my current state, though...

Phantom_Nook posted...

Been registered since 2010.

I think I registered in 2007...

captpackrat posted...

Been registered since I turned 18, and I've voted in every single election since then.

How many times has that been?
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Viking_Mudcrap posted...

Are you registered to vote?

Not deliberately. I think my DMV may have registered me against my will and without my consent the last time I had to renew my driver's license, but if they did I've never acted on it.



Viking_Mudcrap posted...

If not, what's your excuse?

Because I live in a state where my vote has literally no value. If I want to vote Republican, my vote is completely negated, and if I want to vote Democrat, my vote is unnecessary.

Combine that with a belief that "vote for the lesser of two evils" is an incredibly shit philosophy, and I don't really see a reason for me to waste my time. Especially since I don't think "Well, just vote for the other guy" is a viable answer for solving any problems you have with the current administration.

About the only real value my ability to vote has at all is on the most local of levels, but I'm actually relatively content on that scale (or at least as content as I assume it's possible to be, and I don't foresee radical shifts in administration somehow leading to a new, brighter future). And I rarely know enough about local candidates to make educated decisions about who should hold office anyway. So again, no point.


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ParanoidObsessive posted...

I think my DMV may have registered me against my will and without my consent the last time I had to renew my driver's license, but if they did I've never acted on it.

Now that I think about it, maybe my DMV did, also. I had to get my CDL, so it might have been then...
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Voting is pointless and takes too much time out of my day.
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ParanoidObsessive posted...

Because I live in a state where my vote has literally no value. If I want to vote Republican, my vote is completely negated, and if I want to vote Democrat, my vote is unnecessary.

Just a reminder that 3 years ago Alberta, known for always voting entirely conservative both federally and provincially, voted out their Conservative provincial government that held power for over 40 consecutive years for the most left wing party in the province.

That being said, the most left wing party was like a moderate version of the US democrats, but still. Anything is possible.
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Think I am still registered but have no plans on ever voting again.

The world is in your hands, have fun.
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faramir77 posted...

Just a reminder that 3 years ago Alberta, known for always voting entirely conservative both federally and provincially, voted out their Conservative provincial government that held power for over 40 consecutive years for the most left wing party in the province.

Just a reminder, over the last 30 years, New Jersey has never voted for a Republican candidate for President, and the scale of difference is usually about 20% in favor of whoever the Democrat candidate is. Even in the absolute closest election in the state (when Kerry ran against Bush), there was still an 8% difference.

In other words, a meteorite would basically have to hit northeast NJ and kill about half a million people before my vote had any value whatsoever.

Hitler could return from the grave as a zombie and run for President as a Democrat, and New Jersey would vote for him.


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Um, I would totally vote for a zombie....I don't care who it was originally.

Zombie for President....finally....were gonna have some brains in politics!!
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Yes, I think that anyone that is able to vote has a responsibility to do so
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No. I feel like they would continually send junk mail after I did.

faramir77 posted...

Just a reminder that 3 years ago Alberta, known for always voting entirely conservative both federally and provincially, voted out their Conservative provincial government that held power for over 40 consecutive years for the most left wing party in the province.

That being said, the most left wing party was like a moderate version of the US democrats, but still. Anything is possible.

Votes were split between the WR and PCs. And as of at least one year ago, if they had had a vote then, PCs would have been back in and NDP would have been gone, as they should be.
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No and I'm sure that surprises nobody. Why? Because politics is a pissing contest. I do so well avoiding the news that I'd essentially be going into the booth to guess randomly. No wait, better yet - because I hate political ads the most I'd probably pick anyone I DON'T know meaning they advertised/annoyed me the least.

BADoglick posted...

Yes but I vote third party so I may as well not be

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Not only am I registered to vote, but I'm a registered Democrat who votes in party primaries so I'm voting twice. Not that you get a lot of choice, mind you. This year's picks for governor was a guy who never held office (and has run for and lost just about every office in CT) vs a guy who went to prison on a slew of political corruption charges.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Because I live in a state where my vote has literally no value. If I want to vote Republican, my vote is completely negated, and if I want to vote Democrat, my vote is unnecessary.

Still matters for the primaries.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Hitler could return from the grave as a zombie and run for President as a Democrat, and New Jersey would vote for him.

Speaking of, it looks like Bob Menendez is probably going to win another term in the senate. I guess corruption charges and involvement in a hundred-million dollar medicare fraud scheme isn't enough to get NJ to vote for a Republican

zebatov posted...

No. I feel like they would continually send junk mail after I did.

So? Use it to make a papier-mache dinosaur.
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rogerskg1979 posted...

I don't give a shit about politics. Why register for something I don't give a shit about.

This.

DocDelicious posted...

Voting is pointless and takes too much time out of my day.

Personally, I am surprised when educated people who should know better promote voting as anything other than futile.

Hyyr posted...

DocDelicious posted...

Voting is pointless and takes too much time out of my day.

Personally, I am surprised when educated people who should know better promote voting as anything other than futile.

Voting requires agreement, the majority are idiots, ergo your vote is worthless if you have a mind as you'd vote out of the demo/rep circlejerk.
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Kyuubi4269 posted...

Voting requires agreement

Voting also implies consent. By voting, one is saying that they consent to be governed by the idiots in charge. Ergo, if you vote, you really have no reason to complain about the sorry political state this country is in. By voting, you are agreeing to "play by their rules".

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Because I live in a state where my vote has literally no value. If I want to vote Republican, my vote is completely negated, and if I want to vote Democrat, my vote is unnecessary.

Why not vote for a third party?

It's so crazy how the USA only has two ruling parties and anything besides those two is completely ignored.
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Viking_Mudcrap posted...

If not, what's your excuse? Besides being a cold-blooded commie.

The government just sends me the required papers whenever there is an election or referendum, registering to vote is not a thing here.

Also, I prefer socialist.
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LinkPizza posted...

captpackrat posted...

Been registered since I turned 18, and I've voted in every single election since then.

How many times has that been?

I can't count that high.

Looks like I'm doing another 'issues only' ballot in a month and some change...

Viking_Mudcrap posted...

Why not vote for a third party?

Because he literally just finished saying he didn't feel like voting when his vote doesn't matter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAT_BuJAI70" data-time="

Viking_Mudcrap posted...

It's so crazy how the USA only has two ruling parties and anything besides those two is completely ignored.

Is it, though? It's not like it's easy to build a new national party. (Also isn't it impossible to have two ruling parties? Either party or the other is ruling, isn't it? >_>)

Zangulus posted...

And presidential votes are entirely worthless save for a few small places.

If more non-partisan people voted, that wouldn't be true. And, even if the electoral college didn't exist, you'd *still* have people with the same gripe.
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Zangulus posted...

It always pissed my mother off that I never voted. Shes always yell at me about how shed never tell me who to vote for. So Id ask her why she thinks she can tell me I have to vote, because its effectively telling me who to vote for from a small list. She could never answer.

After I moved out and every November the same thing would happen. Id call and ask for my dad, shed ask me if I voted, Id say Id just call back and hang up while she protested in my ear.

It took her over a decade to finally give up even asking. She always took it as some sort of personal affront that her son didnt vote because she served in the army.

I know my dad isnt happy with it, but he at least respects my choice, and he served in the army and was in Vietnam.

I even told my mother that I wont vote for the lesser of two pieces of shit. If the best they can do is tell me why the other person is worse, theyre not worth my vote.

And presidential votes are entirely worthless save for a few small places.

The only thing Id ever vote for is a measure or referendum. Since those are purely representative. However, nothing has made me want to actual deal with registering.

My mom always got on my case too about not voting. Eventually I just told her that if I did vote, I would most likely vote Democrat. She is a diehard Republican, so that shut her up real quick, and she doesn't bother me about voting anymore. lol

Zeus posted...

Because he literally just finished saying he didn't feel like voting when his vote doesn't matter.

And how does he make it matter? By doing nothing? if he doesnt do anything, then it will never change.

This is such a flawed logic with the third parties.

"Yeah, I don't vote for them because they will never win"

..... well... yeah they won't win because nobody votes for them... I remember Gary Johnson, he was asked something along the lines "How does it feel to run for president in a third party when you know you won't win?" and he lost his shit. As he should have.

Zeus posted...

Is it, though? It's not like it's easy to build a new national party. (Also isn't it impossible to have two ruling parties? Either party or the other is ruling, isn't it? >_>)

If we simplify my job, i sell to Latin America which is heavily influenced by Politics (public budgets at least) so I relatively follow the politics in Latin America for territories I work with - Panama as an example has over 5 different political parties AND EACH ONE OF THEM has had a president at least ONCE.

Hell, the last president in Panama was the first president on his new political party.

If a sub-developed country like Panama can have, at least, 5 political parties with equal chances of winning.... why can't USA?
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If half of the people that think their vote doesnt matter showed up to the polls, the political environment would be a lot better than it is today.
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rogerskg1979 posted...

My mom always got on my case too about not voting. Eventually I just told her that if I did vote, I would most likely vote Democrat. She is a diehard Republican, so that shut her up real quick, and she doesn't bother me about voting anymore. lol

you should vote to offset her vote, that'd show her, ok?
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Mead posted...

If half of the people that think their vote doesnt matter showed up to the polls, the political environment would be a lot better than it is today.

Yeah, but then they can't be cool and make asinine comments like "I don't vote because my vote don't matter" or "voting for a third party is useless, they never win"

Do people REALLY think they are that special? They are MILLIONS of people with that same mentality.

If all of those DID something, you can be sure we could have more than 1 political party where it's not either "The evil guy or the GREATER evil guy"
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Viking_Mudcrap posted...

Do people REALLY think they are that special?

Of course they do, ok?
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Zeus posted...

Still matters for the primaries.

Not really. New Jersey is one of the last states to have primaries. By the time we get to vote, we have almost no say in whose running, and really only get to rubber-stamp the decisions that have already been made by that point.

It also doesn't help that, by the nature of having staggered primaries, the results of the first few crucial votes will always skew and influence later primaries. Which is why so many people have complained about which states get to hold their primaries first in the past, and why those states guard their prerogative so jealously.

But again, ultimately, my vote is pretty much meaningless on the larger stage.



Viking_Mudcrap posted...

Why not vote for a third party?

Because throwing my vote away is still a waste of my time.



Mead posted...

If half of the people that think their vote doesnt matter showed up to the polls, the political environment would be a lot better than it is today.

Not really, because the system itself as it currently exists is still going to funnel very specific candidates to you. You're not voting for the best candidate for any given job, you're voting which of the terrible options you're presented with get to win over the others.

Yes, if you could get EVERY disaffected voter into the polls to vote for the same, singular anti-establishment third-party candidate (which you never will, because the system itself discourages it), it MIGHT generate change. Or it might not, because that candidate would still be mostly neutralized once they got into office and had to deal with a partisan Congress (assuming they don't sell you out once they get their entirely on their own - remember, a LOT of people voted for Trump to specifically BE that sort of game-breaker candidate who would buck the system).

But either way, those non-voters aren't going to change the world simply by showing up no matter how often we tell ourselves that lie, because those voters aren't really a unified force, and they have no way to represent their position even if they were. There was a point where it seemed like the Internet might be useful to generate actual grass-roots populist candidate possibilities, but from what we've seen, that's basically a poisoned well now and will likely remain so for years to come.

The political system in the US as it currently exists basically operates to disenfranchise most potential voters while still giving them the illusion of choice to manufacture consent of the governed. And it will continue to do so as long as we continue to have a two-party system with a massive bar in terms of resources and connections to throw your hat into the race as a realistic candidate.


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ParanoidObsessive posted...

Zeus posted...

Still matters for the primaries.

Not really. New Jersey is one of the last states to have primaries. By the time we get to vote, we have almost no say in whose running, and really only get to rubber-stamp the decisions that have already been made by that point.

It also doesn't help that, by the nature of having staggered primaries, the results of the first few crucial votes will always skew and influence later primaries. Which is why so many people have complained about which states get to hold their primaries first in the past, and why those states guard their prerogative so jealously.

But again, ultimately, my vote is pretty much meaningless on the larger stage.

Viking_Mudcrap posted...

Why not vote for a third party?

Because throwing my vote away is still a waste of my time.

Mead posted...

If half of the people that think their vote doesnt matter showed up to the polls, the political environment would be a lot better than it is today.

Not really, because the system itself as it currently exists is still going to funnel very specific candidates to you. You're not voting for the best candidate for any given job, you're voting which of the terrible options you're presented with get to win over the others.

Yes, if you could get EVERY disaffected voter into the polls to vote for the same, singular anti-establishment third-party candidate (which you never will, because the system itself discourages it), it MIGHT generate change. Or it might not, because that candidate would still be mostly neutralized once they got into office and had to deal with a partisan Congress (assuming they don't sell you out once they get their entirely on their own - remember, a LOT of people voted for Trump to specifically BE that sort of game-breaker candidate who would buck the system).

But either way, those non-voters aren't going to change the world simply by showing up no matter how often we tell ourselves that lie, because those voters aren't really a unified force, and they have no way to represent their position even if they were. There was a point where it seemed like the Internet might be useful to generate actual grass-roots populist candidate possibilities, but from what we've seen, that's basically a poisoned well now and will likely remain so for years to come.

The political system in the US as it currently exists basically operates to disenfranchise most potential voters while still giving them the illusion of choice to manufacture consent of the governed. And it will continue to do so as long as we continue to have a two-party system with a massive bar in terms of resources and connections to throw your hat into the race as a realistic candidate.

No
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Mead posted...

No

Yes.


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Yes.
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Viking_Mudcrap posted...

And how does he make it matter? By doing nothing? if he doesnt do anything, then it will never change.

This is such a flawed logic with the third parties.

"Yeah, I don't vote for them because they will never win"

..... well... yeah they won't win because nobody votes for them... I remember Gary Johnson, he was asked something along the lines "How does it feel to run for president in a third party when you know you won't win?" and he lost his shit. As he should have.

Then he might as well vote for a major party because, while they'd still lose, there's a greater chance of an impact.

Viking_Mudcrap posted...

If a sub-developed country like Panama can have, at least, 5 political parties with equal chances of winning.... why can't USA?

...what? I don't even... How is *any* of that correlated? It just makes no sense. It's like saying that countries with far more paper clips should have more gopher farms. The two things just aren't even remotely connected.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Not really. New Jersey is one of the last states to have primaries. By the time we get to vote, we have almost no say in whose running, and really only get to rubber-stamp the decisions that have already been made by that point.

It also doesn't help that, by the nature of having staggered primaries, the results of the first few crucial votes will always skew and influence later primaries. Which is why so many people have complained about which states get to hold their primaries first in the past, and why those states guard their prerogative so jealously.

But again, ultimately, my vote is pretty much meaningless on the larger stage.

Because the presidency is the only office? >_>

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Not really, because the system itself as it currently exists is still going to funnel very specific candidates to you. You're not voting for the best candidate for any given job, you're voting which of the terrible options you're presented with get to win over the others.

Not necessarily true, given the trouble that establishment candidates have had lately.
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Yes good men and women died so I can have the right.
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afrodude77 posted...

good men and women died so I can have the right.

Lol.

I will never vote again in my life. Voting for "the lesser of two evils" is a dumb concept and I'd rather not have a part in it. I used to be a patriot, but not so much anymore. We do some pretty awful things to people in the name of "freedom."

Inb4 "But we're still better than most countries, so HURRDURRRRRRR"
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Hyyr posted...

afrodude77 posted...

good men and women died so I can have the right.

Lol.

tbh, it was mostly just the men dying.

RedPixel posted...

I will never vote again in my life. Voting for "the lesser of two evils" is a dumb concept and I'd rather not have a part in it. I used to be a patriot, but not so much anymore. We do some pretty awful things to people in the name of "freedom."

Then I guess you can be happy when the worse of the two gets into office partly through your inaction.
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