Do you vote?

[hank]

Don't want to have a poll, but I am curious to hear from those old enough to vote. (Those not old enough can pipe in, too)

Particularly curious about the Europeans who come here, is voting a priority for you?

Feel free to tell who you voted for, but not obligated.

TN primary was yesterday and I went ahead and voted in the Republican primary because we had a few contested county commission seats. Voted for W while I was at it - he ran unopposed.

Chime in, I want to see what everybody thinks. Let's keep the rock throwing at a minimum for the people who want to say who they vote for, all right?

hank

[Roger Rabbit]

I'm old enough to vote. Theres no politicians i want to vote for though. However seeing as its a freedom people have fought and died for then i feel i must vote. So when it comes down to it then i spoil the ballot paper. At least then the politicians know i care enough to spend time to go to the voting station and that i don't like any of the choices i had.

[NcDeuce]

Don't want to have a poll, but I am curious to hear from those old enough to vote. (Those not old enough can pipe in, too)

Particularly curious about the Europeans who come here, is voting a priority for you?

Feel free to tell who you voted for, but not obligated.

TN primary was yesterday and I went ahead and voted in the Republican primary because we had a few contested county commission seats. Voted for W while I was at it - he ran unopposed.

Chime in, I want to see what everybody thinks. Let's keep the rock throwing at a minimum for the people who want to say who they vote for, all right?

hank

I'll be going pretty soon.

[Seoulstriker]

i'll be voting for the first time this november. for bush, of course.

then condi in 2008. :D

[Herrmannek]

Yes it is priority. Even there is no ideal candidate I try to chose lesser evil...

[Rantanplan]

Do you vote? Of course!

[Dennis G]

I vote

[Nondescript]

I have voted once that was in 2000, next time is this fall. I don't know if I want to vote then, I don't like any of the parties I can vote for. If I do vote it will probably be a blank vote.

[Herrmannek]

Does in your countries blanks are also counted?
In Poland those votes are counted together with missfiled charts(croses in wrong places, many crosses etc..) so droping blank into "urn" havn't more sense than non voting....

[Roger Rabbit]

If you don't turn up to vote then i see it as disrespectful to those who fought(physically and also protests, parliament etc etc). If you dont vote then all the politicians see is that some people didnt vote and it could be they couldnt be bothered, couldnt get to the ballot office could be any reason. A spoilt ballot paper shows you took the time to go to the ballot office and then you deliberately chose not to vote for any of the politicians.

[Seraphim]

I havent found a party I liked, just like religion. Maybe my lady friend will convert me or something.

[Nondescript]

Blank votes are counted.

In Sweden politicians are trying thier best to get people to vote, but every year less voters are turning up on election day. My feeling here is that the blank-voters count less than those who don't vote. The politicians see it as, oh he didn't vote for me but he didn't vote for my opponents either. But the non-voters are like someone to be won over to thier point of view.

I'm 21 years old, I am single, work as an electrician and pay my tax. I have done my military service, I'm also active in the home guard and in the future I will most certainly go on peacekeeping missions. Lets face it, I count for nothing in the face of a politician, why should a politician count for anything in my face.

Just my thoughts.

BTW I will probably vote on election day anyway, being the good citizen I am.

[Roger Rabbit]

Are blank voters also not voters to be won over though? I mean they took the effort to vote unlike the non voters. They obviously care but they dont like the current politicians.

[ßå$tĮТHÏ¿ð]

I dont think I've ever came across a politician I've ever liked or cared for. I am old enough to vote, in federal elections though my vote doesnt really count because it's usually been decided by the time the votes get counted in the eastern half of the country. In my province politicians are corrupt, they've drove this place into the ground. Kinda sad...nobody is really worth voting for because they get on the job and its more problems over and over and over...

[ibstolidude]

When ever the opportunity presents itself - even if casting by mail.

[Nondescript]

In Sweden politicians are trying thier best to get people to vote, but every year less voters are turning up on election day. My feeling here is that the blank-voters count less than those who don't vote. The politicians see it as, oh he didn't vote for me but he didn't vote for my opponents either. But the non-voters are like someone to be won over to thier point of view.


Are blank voters also not voters to be won over though? I mean they took the effort to vote unlike the non voters. They obviously care but they dont like the current politicians.

Sure they are, but I feel that nothing is done to get them over. Nothing changes much in the politics, it's the same politicians running giving the same empty promises as always. In the end they always manage to raise taxes and take away a bit of our social welfare, despite their promises not to.

[hank]

I dont think I've ever came across a politician I've ever liked or cared for. I am old enough to vote, in federal elections though my vote doesnt really count because it's usually been decided by the time the votes get counted in the eastern half of the country. In my province politicians are corrupt, they've drove this place into the ground. Kinda sad...nobody is really worth voting for because they get on the job and its more problems over and over and over...

Dude every vote always counts even if it does not affect the outcome. Start voting, people died to give you that right, yes even in Canada.

When you guys talk about blank votes are you referring to the "chad" problem in FL or is that somehting that happens often on your side of the pond.

People who walk into the booth here but do not vote are not counted.

Also, one other thing I want to mentionabout this. For those who do vote regularly, do you fell obligated to vote in local elections. I do, but I must say that my record in local elections is not stellar compare to my voting record in state/national elections. Local elections are important - probably more so than national.

hank

[cut]

I was a couple of months short at the last election 3 years ago, but I would have done, and I was going to until Blair moved it forward a year.

[Sierra]

nope. i dont. not old enough :)

[Roger Rabbit]

I've only voted once in a local election. Never a General election

[Tengu]

In belgium i am a voter. But over here every belgian MUST vote. And not voting is punishable by law.

[hank]

That is interesting about the blank votes. I take it you guys mean that if you have two choices when you go in the booth and you don't pick one that your vote gets counted as abstain or something like that? A way for a voter to show displeasure in the choices between candidates?

That is a great idea. That wuold be an interesting number to have in America b/c of the proble most of our states have with votes that don't get counted due to voter error. In 2000, when Gore lost, the dems hollered when the percentage of misvotes was as it always hade been b/c they said those votes would have made the difference. I am surprised that no one on the right brought up the "no-vote" on purpose argument.

What is a typical "no-vote" % in your national elections? Just curious.

hank

[Schwabo Elite]

In Germany you can vote. You needn't, if you don't want to. But for me it would seem like betrayel to the sysetm I support to run the country I love. I don't really "like" any of the big parties like in "I like them to be my salvation." I see all the parties more like in "I like these better, because I like those less."
BTW the 2 big parties could not yet proof to me that they would do things signifacantly diffrent.

SE

[Nondescript]

Yes, in Sweden a blank vote is a way for someone to show their displeasure with the existing parties. Blank votes only count for about 1,5% of the total votes, 80,5% of the people voted in the last election. Which was in 2002 not in 2000 as I wrote earlier, so the next election will be 2006. I think I'm getting old, not being able to hold simple figures like that in my head.

[hank]

Thanks delux. Probably really a good thing that the US doesn't get that high a turnout.

hank

[Nondescript]

You think thats a high turnout, between 1968 and 1985 the turnout was 90% and over. The politicians see this drop in recent years as a big problem.

[NcDeuce]

I was sitting in class waiting for the prof. to come in. The stuck-up bastard nerd kid sitting next to me is arguing with a girl about the upcoming election. He was badmouthing Bush & the Republican party for everything...from killing innocent Muslims to f*cking the economy to starting WW3 to why he has *** with goats...the girl goes well I admire Bush for what's he done and said more about how she thought very few presidents could have handled the situation as well.

But this bastard just keeps cussing and yelling about how Democrats are the solution to all of the world's problems... :cantbeli: I just sat there with my U.S. Army folder and smiled.

I need to tape a photo of super-Liberal dumbasses on the ceiling above my bench. A little motivation

[James]

I vote every time there is an election or an issue on the ballot, from city coulcil to the U.S. Government. My first vote was cast in 1992.

[Trigger]

I also vote whenever possible.

In fact sometimes I make stuff up and vote about it. So far I'm undefeated. :D

Nice avatar James. Who's the artist?

[James]

The picture is "Infantryman", by H.E. Townsend, 1918.