Everyone including the dog on the street has an opinion on the gov taxes and how a country should be running or war etc.

Yet you find as bad as people in "rich" western society think they have it election turn outs show incredibly low turnouts...

alot of the lame excuses been "there aint nobody better to vote for"..this in my eyes is a vindication of how sucessful a democratic open society is like Ireland UK US etc.

You will find in Many countyies where voting is not a right, that people are literally die'in to vote..

My question stands, just out of general interest, how many of the BC vote?

I never have, and probably never will. I take the view that my say will not make any difference, although if everyone thought the same, nobody would bother and voting would be completely pointless
Perhaps a dictatorship DOES sound tempting..

I haven't voted, but i have just recently become legal. I missed the cutoff for the last presidential election by like 1 month (had to be 18 by that time to register, and i still had a month to go). However, i will be voting in the next presidential election (not big on mid-term elections, i don't pay much attention to those).

C'om on! You got to vote!!

I know how you feel, thousands feel the same!!

Every vote counts


By the way ..Im not runnning for any election yet....although i sometimes get the feelin there are people in BC voting on my future

I vote in every election.
Cheers,
John

I want to add:
Voting is just a part of participation. Communicating with your elected representatives, either face-to-face or by, for example, E-mail can bemore influential than a secret ballot. Joining groups of like-minded individuals and actively supporting a candidate is also another way to take part in a republican form of government.
J

Always vote , every election,always will.



If you don't vote you forfeit your right to complain

Ditto.


As soon as you believe that you will not make a difference, everyone else becomes indifferent to what you believe.

Ditto to those last few replies. Moreso in the low turn out local elections, every vote counts.

And that's a VERY valuable right in the US

I'll be voting in the next presidental election. :D

Haven't missed but two since 1978. In the hospital for one, bed ridden for the other.

Why didn't you try for an "absentee" ballott? My grandfather did that during his last month here, October/November 2004, when he was bed ridden.

I was in a coma for 4 days in '84. In '92 I broke back the 3 weeks before the election. Absentee ends 30 days before. If I could have I would have. I'll put my record up againist most.

Sounds like a prety valid reason for not voting. I hope you are better, after that.

I have never voted and I never will. I came to the conclusion along time ago that the Powers that be have already decided what they are going to do, and for the most part it does not matter what we think or what we vote for.

Hi Suzanne.

I would have to say that i strongly disagree with your belief, but you are very entitled to have one

I jus feel like many of the previous members who posted that it is a fundamental part of a free and democratic society.

I think by not voting you cant exert your view, even if it feels small and insignificent.

But, opinions are different.

And i respect yours.

Snyper

You deserve what you put in. If you give nothing you deserve nothing. The problem is not the powers that be, it is people like yourself that are apathetic, disillusioned, or just plain lazy. That is how smaller groups take over. Wait for the majortiy to become fat and lazy then waltz in and take the election.
I hate it when people complain about the election being "Stolen", when all they and there friends/citizins had to do is vote. That is why, in my opinion term limit, are a sad commentary. If everyone voted, the way they complain, the people elected would not get in to office.
Your attiude should not be my vote does not count, your attitude should be only my vote counts. If everyone had that take is would be a much better system.

Apathy is the greatest reason for governmental inefficiency, corruption, graft, and over-regulation. Citizens forge their own chains, and then wonder why they feel hopeless.
Regards,
John

I agree with you fully acklan, but i didnt want to be that tough on her

I love political debate, many people try to avoid it.
However as was mentioned bty the first poster..everyone has an opinion on football and politics!
So to thin out the people i dont want to argue/debate with i askthem if they vote....if they dont vote they shouldnt put forward an opinion complaining about the government.....

Since this developed into a good discussion, I moved it to the Speak Easy, since this is the place for more "heated" debates. Please keep it polite.

Especially since their opinion would be much better express in the voting booth.

TRUE!

I have voted in every election.

rigel

Yes, I vote, local and Presidential.

The next Presidential election ought to be very interesting. So far, it's going to be hard choosing someone that is worth a darn. The ones in the for front right now, makes me think "Is this all we have?"

Their is plenty of time for someone to step forward, hopefully a worthy candidate. We shall see.

Barb

You mean, Bar5, you would like to see a statesman instead of a politician step forward?
I know I would.
Cheers,
John

John, im not local..whats the difference?

Elections have been rigged...

A Statesman put the people best interest first. A politician puts his own interest first. One serves the people, the other serves him self.

acklan and John, I could not have said it better.

For some reason, a politician still thinks the general public has no idea what it wants, or what is going on. Only they know what is good for us. WRONG!!!!!

People today are a lot more informed than they ever have been.

Barb

Between the Know-nothings and the Do-nothings,Barb, it certainly seems that Congress is controlled by politicians only interested in party and in avoiding any sort of decision about really important matters confronting us today just so they can avoid "negative ads" and get re-elected by putting their hands in every lobyist's till. Most of the time, Congress seems to want to provide the citizens with some sort of "panem et circensus" with amendments to bills for local goodies, or by keeping our attention on trivial matters.
Regards,
John

Decision is not part of their vocabulary. All they do is spin, spin and more spin and answer nothing.

No one will pass a bill unless, like you said, there is an attachment to it that is meaningless. If they would just stop the wasteful spending on projects that we have no business paying for. All those little projects (pork) are only to get re-elected, and sad to see, it works.

This Congress has been the least productive that I can remember. All they do is fight. Maybe there have been worse, but I do not remember them. Like a bunch of kids, no one will give in to the other party. Now children, we must not fight.

Barb

Which is worse: ignorant voting...that is, voting without understanding the measures and agendas of the candidates...or just not voting at all?


There's always talk about how to increase voter turn-out. But how much good does that do if the voter pamphlets go straight into the recycle bin?

Yes locall pwned.

This is a very good point! You can be certain that a large amount dont have an idea about politics. Yet can turn out to vote. I guess its up to the politician to appeal to them in a basic level afterall they are citizens too...

In Addition..i will add, nobody knows everything! Juat some more than others

I'm 22 and I still haven't registered. I wouldn't vote even if I was registered. Thats because I don't pay attention to politics or watch/read the news. I'm always busy with working full time and going to school and spending time with my girlfriend. I probably also avoided it because I had teachers indirectly shoving liberalism down my throat when I was in high school and my dad did the same but he's a republican. I guess i'll figure out my political beliefs when I have a home of my own and I am married.

Voting is alway better than not voting. Politics is like any other subject, the more exposer you have the better you get. So never ge good at it, but the alternative is worst. The politians wait till apathty sets in then they vote in their own best interest ( or the people who pay them under the table ) and you end up wondering how thing got so bad? They got bad because people squandered thir right to vote. It never a good idea not to vote. If you vote you have a 50% chance of getting it right. If you don't vote you have 0% chance.

Maybe im been repetative and im sur acklan will agree...


But by not voting you are letting george w or any else in power assume they are doing fine...


Its a reflection on society...a good one i might add, that you can work see your girlfriend and be happy and not have the worries of an unstable nation like Rhodesia

What if you don't like either of the Candidates at all? My teacher told me he didn't vote because he didn't like either George W or John Kerry so he refused to vote. How do you feel about that?

I think your teacher is setting a bad example. There are going to be countless times in life where you will have to make decisions based on bad options. The trick is to then make the best choice given the options that you have. The responsible decision would be to decide who the best person would be, or the one who would be most closely aligns with your ideals and beliefs. You know one of them is going to win... might as well help make sure it isn't the one that you absolutely can't live with.

EDIT: On a side note, politicians rely on people being ignorant. That's the only way our system of checks and balances can be defeated, allowing politicians to do whatever they want. By not being interested or informed, you play right into their hands.

Alright how do you feel about people who say this "what if you are in a state that votes primarily democrat or republican than your vote really doesn't matter and you've wasted time."

or

how do you feel about people who pick a particular party b/c their friends or family tells them too. (thats retarted imo but i know it happens.)

how about people who pick a party because they know they are not going to win.

I've also known a lot of people who picked which name they liked the best.

P.S. I know the whole country doesn't do this.

Just because a state votes primarily one way or another doesn't mean a thing. We had a Democrat senator for many, many years... until last election. People decided they wanted something different. Voting is not a waste of time.. like life, it might not always go your way. People go to Vegas all the time knowing full well that they are going to get their butts handed to them on a platter..sure doesn't stop them from going though. Good thing too, otherwise there would be no Las Vegas.

I think people who vote how they are told to vote lack the confidence and ability to think for themselves. You will meet many of those in your life.

I think people who pick a party that they think will not win are self-defeatist. (Actually, I think more than that, but it is not appropraite for this discussion )

People will sometimes pick the name they recognize. Some people will pick the name they like the best. Some people will vote for one person just because they don't like the other person. At least they are participating. It's not a perfect system, but it's the best we have. Those that don't vote are just making excuses. I think it is a tremendous dishonor to those that died defending our right to freely elect our government officials. I think that the reason government seems so out of touch with its citizens is because so many citizens are complacent and no longer voice their opinion. It is much easier to sit in front of the television and bleep about things than to actually do anything about it.

What if's are a circle. You go round an round but never go anywhere. I'll bite. Then What If you lived in a County the had 5000 registred votes, and what if everyone took the position of either A) My vote does not may a difference so will not bother, or My party hasit locked up so my vote is overkill, and I will not bother to vote. What if out of 5000 registered votes only 100 registered votes bother to vote? Do you think your vote would count then?

You attitude should not be, "I am only one vote what can I do?". It should be ," I have to go vote, my vote makes The difference.". It is never one item on the ticket. Tell your teaher next time there is a tax to increase the teaher's pay, "I am not voting. My vote will not make a difference.". I would be willing to bet she changes her position about what does and does not make a difference.
No one is perfect. You make the best decision on the current information. I would love to debate your teaher on the importance or the power of one vote. In this country there is not one lever pulled to casted 300 million plus votes. It is 300 million plus people pulled one lever to change their lives.

I just found this:
http://www.ma.lwv.org/ElectionPubs/your_vote.htm

Actually the teacher was a guy and I haven't seen him in several years. I just remembered he didn't vote that one year b/c he couldn't stand either of the candidates and what they wanted to do. I've also had another teacher tell me I was going to hell as well as other people who are not christians. o-well.

Anyway, do you think that voting should be decided on popular vote or the electoral college?

We are a representative Republic, and that this he way I like it. I have no problem with the Electral College. I have a problem with the sad turn out, on average, we have in this Country.

Exactly...but aren't ignorant voters more dangerous to the checks and balances than apathetic non-voters? Aren't ignorant voters simply the tools of the corrupt? Isn't it easier to sell a campaign to an ignorant crowd? Why else would the parties spend millions on emotion-based television smear campaigns rather than distributing solid information about their platforms?

"That guy wants to take my guns!"

"That guy wants to let gays get married!"

"That guy cares about salmon!"

"That guy says he's religious, so he must be moral!"

Many people are swayed by emotional argument because they don't fully research the issues before they vote. This is far more dangerous than just not voting because of how easily people can be swayed. Know what the heck you are supporting before you support it!

Interesting question. I can say with all the confidence in the world, that I have no clue. So let me ramble a few moments and see where I end up.

Politicians do count on people being ignorant, but I think that often times people remain ignorant because it is easier to let others think for them. So how does that play into the picture? I suppose that any politician has an equal chance at garnering the vote of the ignorant, so I would speculate that it would be essentially a wash as far as gaining votes.

As far as whether or not they would be better off not voting, I'm leaning towards not agreeing. At least they are trying to participate, flawed as that may be. At least they are trying to make a difference. I think that beats apathy hands down.

The hard questions is whether their votes elect people that shouldn't be in office? I suppose so, but it only makes sense that there are people voted into office all the time that don't deserve to be there, by people that are informed, and with the best of intentions. So I don't think it is that big of a factor.

I hadn't thought about it until just now, but in order to garner the majority of the votes, a politician would have to appeal to the widest range of people possible; that would mean intellectually, morally, and emotionally. I would almost bet that politicians are very aware of the percent of voters swayed by emotion, swayed by intellect, and swayed by morality. It's not called political sciences for nothing.

So I guess I don't agree that it is bad for uninformed voters to participate. I think the right person for the job will be the one that has something for everyone. I don't think there is anything wrong with voting your emotions. Emotions get people fired up and get them to do things that they normally wouldn't do. So if a politician is able to get them fired up in a way that they want to try and better themselves, then I don't see anything wrong with it. What happens after a person gets elected is an entirely different topic.

So no, I don't agree.

Wow, that was sort of exciting. I had no idea how I felt until right at the end there.

WOW!


Almost as deep as jgweed!!

I cant think too much...my brain starts to hurt!!

Dont vote never will until I meet a politition(cant spell) who can tell the truth. Everytime I think about voting I look @ the cannidates and relize they have not a care for me or my situation (if they did the min wage would be $10/hr).

When they speak the truth Ill vote

If the minimum wage was $10, tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of jobs would be lost. Employers are required to match SSI and medicare benefits. Unemployment insurance is based on wages. Workman's comp is also based on wages (at least it is here). So the actual cost to an employer is $15-17 an employee for a minimum wage job at that rate. Put insurance on top of that, and you won't have to worry about minimum wage, because you won't have a job to go to. So then we have more people trying to collect unemployment and relief from social services. The government will have to increase taxes to keep up with the strain.... In short, your view is a bit narrow. In a growing economy, more jobs are created, there is less unemployment, and employers are forced to raise wages in order to attract competent workers. Raising the minimum wage to $10 an hour would have exactly the opposite effect.

As far as speaking the truth, I'm not sure how to take that. Have you ever had a politician lie right to your face, in person? I haven't. I have had them waffle on answers to questions, right to my face. Do you really think someone is going to expose themselves to the intense media scrutiny unless they have a sincere and strong desire to at least try and make things better for people? So they don't always get done what they say they are going to do.. that's politics, and that is government. You hardly ever hear when a politician is succesful.. the media only reports when things go wrong. And politicians are just as human as the rest of us.

At least they are trying to make a difference.

trying to make a difference
This is the key, this is why you Vote. If apathy, indifferrence and I'm not even going to try, were the way,well ...we'd still be under the rule of a crown. Not for me.