Please vote tomorrow!

slefain wrote:

Duke wrote:

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: I really don't want to, but I will. It's just the same old crooks (and new crooks too!) running for office. It's basically deciding who's not going to kick me in the balls the hardest.

That will *always* be the case, until people stop buying the Republicrat line that third-party votes are wasted votes. I left about half the lines blank on my ballot this morning because I didn't like the candidates, but I voted for everybody I believe in. That's *never* wasted.

I left one of the spots blank on my ballot because I just can't stand the idiot who is running unopposed (Hank Johnson). He's still better than Cynthia McKinney though, but that's not saying much.

I left many spots blank … all the judges, I know nothing about any of them, don't have any particularly easy way to find out anything about how they believe …

left a couple of other spots blank … can't stand either of the candidates … so basically I filled in about 1/2 of the blanks

yamaha wrote:

mad_machine wrote: Just got back from voting... that was the nicest and quickest experience ever in voting. Might have something to do with the poll being in an old age home?

All of the local ones here are in Christian Churches......

and your point is ?

just because they are in Christian Churches shouldn't have anything to do with whether or not you vote

I'm with pinchvalve to a point here. I vote because I have the right to do so and earned it. That said I doubt it will affect my lefe terribly much, I'm not poor enough (or sorry enough) to "draw a check". I'm too poor to realize any real change to investment laws or anything that helps the top 1%. But if you don't vote, you can't legitimately bitch about who we end up with.

I would like to see some significant changes to the child support laws and will be lobbying my new representative just as soon as they are ensconced in their office (and bellied up to the trough of taxpayer dollars).

FWIW, I think TeamEvil is probably correct but I vote anyway. I do it so I can say "I told you so" to both voters and non-voters when it turns out true that it really doesn't matter who you vote for, you get berkeleyed anyway.

I always choose non-incumbent third party candidates unless I know the person personally or thru some other reliable means like verifiable track record, reputation, etc. (never info from an ad of any kind)

If there is no third party player involved and I don't know enough about the person(s) I write in my own name

I was the 615th person to vote in my precinct today.

$100m spent in the NC Senate race for a job that pays $175k, seems legit. Voting after work, like I always do. My wife votes in the morning and we make note of our number to tell how active the precinct has been, she was 187.

EDIT: I was number 814, I recall other mid terms where there was only a couple of hundred that separated us.

Ballet cast!

“Please Vote Tomorrow”

Absolutely, if you aren’t going to vote the same way I am…please vote tomorrow.

this is the first election i voted in that wasn't presidential. go me.

also i love my polling location. I never have to wait more than 2 minutes before I am voting.

I have a corner lot. I think every candidate tried to put a sign up on it and I mean they stop after dark and slap them up and drive away. They get removed. Only one candidate actually came up to me and asked if he could put a sign on my property. And I mean the actual candidate not a helper person. We chatted an I quizzed him on some issues. I then told him to hold on and went to my shed and got the other signs out of the trash and gave them to him. He and I got a good laugh and he said he would be happy to dispose of them for me. Needless to say he got my vote.

wbjones wrote:

slefain wrote:

Duke wrote:

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: I really don't want to, but I will. It's just the same old crooks (and new crooks too!) running for office. It's basically deciding who's not going to kick me in the balls the hardest.

That will *always* be the case, until people stop buying the Republicrat line that third-party votes are wasted votes. I left about half the lines blank on my ballot this morning because I didn't like the candidates, but I voted for everybody I believe in. That's *never* wasted.

I left one of the spots blank on my ballot because I just can't stand the idiot who is running unopposed (Hank Johnson). He's still better than Cynthia McKinney though, but that's not saying much.

I left many spots blank … all the judges, I know nothing about any of them, don't have any particularly easy way to find out anything about how they believe … left a couple of other spots blank … can't stand either of the candidates … so basically I filled in about 1/2 of the blanks

I never vote for an unopposed candidate. We had a slew of them on our ballot and I just left all those blank.

A big-L-Libertarian friend of mine has a theory that the best "none of the above" vote would be for everyone who says "it doesn't matter anyway" or "I hate everybody who's running" to vote a completely empty ballot. You get a high turnout number but a low number of votes. His theory is that it would eliminate the talking point that the reason turnout is low is because Americans are lazy and don't want to get off the couch. I doubt it would ever get reported that way, but it's an interesting theory at least.

Haven't missed voting in any election I was eligible to vote in since 1964 so I voted today. No national races of importance to vote in but plenty of state and local stuff. Local elections are particularly important this year since the county is changing from commission type government to county executive and commission type.

In reply to wbjones:

No, but I find it amusing considering all the hubub about "Separation of Church & State" crap that's been spewed forth lately.

I voted last year and move out of Maryland, where do I get my sticker?

Paul

This is also the first time that I voted in a midterm election. I don't just vote because numerous people died to get voting rights for me, but to also encourage other people to vote. I'm also working on getting money out of politics, so I should vote because of that, too.

Politicians have the talking point of Americans are too lazy to vote because they don't put regular people in front of the camera that say that it's because the politicians are too corrupt.

wae wrote: A big-L-Libertarian friend of mine has a theory that the best "none of the above" vote would be for everyone who says "it doesn't matter anyway" or "I hate everybody who's running" to vote a completely empty ballot. You get a high turnout number but a low number of votes. His theory is that it would eliminate the talking point that the reason turnout is low is because Americans are lazy and don't want to get off the couch. I doubt it would ever get reported that way, but it's an interesting theory at least.

This is a really good idea though in the same vein as "Our silence speaks volumes". It would make a fantastic protest story but the incumbent would still win. It's better IMO to toss the numbers to the third party you know can't win to bolster their ability to fund-raise for next time.

I vote for gridlock. The less they accomplish, the better regardless of ideology or party . It's supposed to be a messy, cantankerous process. That's kinda the design. Wealth influence is a problem. So is voting in entitlements/money from the public's wallet from those who don't have it.

wae wrote:

wbjones wrote:

slefain wrote:

Duke wrote:

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: I really don't want to, but I will. It's just the same old crooks (and new crooks too!) running for office. It's basically deciding who's not going to kick me in the balls the hardest.

That will *always* be the case, until people stop buying the Republicrat line that third-party votes are wasted votes. I left about half the lines blank on my ballot this morning because I didn't like the candidates, but I voted for everybody I believe in. That's *never* wasted.

I left one of the spots blank on my ballot because I just can't stand the idiot who is running unopposed (Hank Johnson). He's still better than Cynthia McKinney though, but that's not saying much.

I left many spots blank … all the judges, I know nothing about any of them, don't have any particularly easy way to find out anything about how they believe … left a couple of other spots blank … can't stand either of the candidates … so basically I filled in about 1/2 of the blanks

I never vote for an unopposed candidate. We had a slew of them on our ballot and I just left all those blank. A big-L-Libertarian friend of mine has a theory that the best "none of the above" vote would be for everyone who says "it doesn't matter anyway" or "I hate everybody who's running" to vote a completely empty ballot. You get a high turnout number but a low number of votes. His theory is that it would eliminate the talking point that the reason turnout is low is because Americans are lazy and don't want to get off the couch. I doubt it would ever get reported that way, but it's an interesting theory at least.

I really do wish that "none of the above" was a check block on every section of the ballot …

the only folk that get to take office are those that can convince enough of us to vote for them as opposed to the " none of the above " … if "none" wins, then new candidates are required … can't rerun the same folk

it'll never happen .. but I can wish

In reply to oldtin:

The policitcal process is supposed to be a train wreck, the more they argue with each other, the more they leave us alone. The 24 hour news cycle just brings the process out of the back rooms and into the spot light, because drama. When was the last time you heard a politician discuss what they had done for their district/constituents? I can't think off one positive ad with specifics during this past cycle. Lots of platitudes - "saving jobs, money for education, blah blah blah".

I don't vote for unopposed candidates either, you won by default during the primary.

Yes I voted, I always do since becoming a Citizen just prior to the 08 election.

For those who don't tick the boxes for the effectively unopposed judges etc., i.e. the 'vote for 6 of the following' and there are only 5 or 6 names, I still vote, but I do my homework. For instance, on one of the circuit courts I can't stand the Chief judge, but I know he will get in as the # of names = the number of slots, so I voted for everyone except him in the hope of sending the message that although he will get in, he's not popular. Also remember that you can write in a name for most positions, so I can at least say someone has voted for me in an election, I have written in my own name in the past for city council even though I have no real interest in being on the council. This time there were 3 names and 4 seats for the city council, but there has been a guy waging a write in campaign for the council and he got my vote, I wrote him in and purposefully didn't vote for the others, I don't think I'm the only one. Results aren't out yet, but I bet he gets on with a healthy vote. Maybe when I retire I will run for the city council, but having been on the board of Directors of a school and acted as board president I know how much time and effort these positions take so I just can't do it with a full time job and kids.

There is no excuses for not voting if you are a citizen. Let’s make a 10% tax uplift if you haven't voted.

If you think you are tight on time to vote, or are traveling and not due back until the night before, go and get an absentee ballot and vote early.

wae wrote: I never vote for an unopposed candidate. We had a slew of them on our ballot and I just left all those blank.

Had three unopposed incumbents on my ballot. Wrote myself in for Representative, and somewhat random names on the other two. I dislike having only one person to vote for on principle and decided I'd refuse to vote for any of them, regardless of party.

A big-L-Libertarian friend of mine has a theory that the best "none of the above" vote would be for everyone who says "it doesn't matter anyway" or "I hate everybody who's running" to vote a completely empty ballot. You get a high turnout number but a low number of votes. His theory is that it would eliminate the talking point that the reason turnout is low is because Americans are lazy and don't want to get off the couch. I doubt it would ever get reported that way, but it's an interesting theory at least.

That could have interesting results here. Georgia law requires you to get over 50% of the vote - if nobody does, you have a runoff election. So having enough protest votes would give politicians a real nuisance and a reason to make sure people vote for them and don't use a protest vote; they'd have to deal with the nuisance of an extra campaign and a real possibility they might lose an election after getting a plurality of the vote in the first election. This also means that a third party candidate vote is less of a risk - you get to pick your second choice in the runoff instead of worrying that the third party candidate ruined the election and you got stuck with your last choice.

It would be hilarious - if something of a pipe dream - to see an unopposed candidate forced into a runoff this way.

So depressing....

How expensive was this election?

At least half of my ballot was left blank. I too do not vote for anyone running unopposed. I with held my votes for the local judge types since I did not research on them other than the few tv commercials I saw. I did look into and vote for the school board peeps. If there was a 3rd party of any type running for any given office I voted for them. Neither Kay Hagan nor Thom Tillis got a vote from me.

In reply to KyAllroad:

If you want to take the money out of politics, the only way to do it is to take the power away from the government. As long as the government has the power it does, the money will find its way there to influence/control it. If the government had little power to much of anything, then the big money would stay out of it since there would be no return on their investment.

In reply to Cone_Junkie:

Please explain how many people died giving women the right to vote? I don't recall the great suffrage wars. So women at least, get a pass on that point.

For me, I'm all about democracy and patriotism and all that, but the system is so broken and so far removed from what those people fought and died for that I choose not to participate anymore. No one represents me and hasn't for a long time. I don't bitch about the politicians because I don't vote and I know it won't do any good anyway. Voting only encourages them and supports an industry that I want no part of. When I see someone that might actually do some good, I'll go out and vote. I hope that someday the mid-term candidates get zero votes at all. That would be a wake-up call.