Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Do you vote?

news.ycombinator.com

11–20 of 54 posts

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#11

Yes. But if the choice is Trump vs. Hillary, I'm going to sit that particular race out, because I could not in good conscience vote for either candidate.

There will always be at least one third-party candidate on the ballot, even if they've got zero chance of winning. By voting for that candidate you signal that you're a voter who WILL go to the polls and whom candidates should put in some effort to court, while still indicating with your fringe candidate vote that you are unwilling to support either major party candidate.

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#12
Yes, I usually vote and I've even run for public office before ( Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina, 2008, as the Libertarian candidate. I wasn't elected).

That said, I am somewhat ambivalent about voting and democracy. I think democracy is basically just a euphemism for "mob rule" and find that whatever systems you put in to try and prevent the "tyranny of the majority" never really work. And if you're on the losing end in a "democratic" system, are you really "represented"? I argue that the answer is "no". I don't hold Richard Burr, David Price, or Thom Tillis as representing me in any way. I certainly didn't vote for any of them, and would't if you paid me to.

Basically I'm a voluntaryist / anarcho-capitalist / market anarchist / whatever-term-you-prefer, who wants to eliminate most of "government" as we know it today. Note that does not mean I'm in favor of chaos or opposed to communal action (this is something critics of libertarian thought often get wrong.. seemingly intentionally at times). I just want voluntary exchange and self-government to be the fundamental basis for society, with use of force/violence reserved for self-defense.

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#14

No. My political views are extreme enough to not be represented by any candidate. My non-participation decreases the legitimacy of the current system, which I want to fail.

Why do you want the current system to fail? What do you prefer in its place? How likely do you think it is that, if the current system fails, it will be replaced by something you view as better?

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#15
No. Looks like only people who do feel like commenting here. I guess people who don't, like me, might just not care about it. Kinda like asking people who don't believe in God why they don't.

Yes, I might not think I'd make a difference, I don't have anybody to vote for, I don't think parliament members make much of a difference, I'm not crazy about democracy etc etc. But in the end I guess I just don't care.

If there was a special party or person that I'd really believe to be a game changer, I might. If I was American I would perhaps vote next year depending on who gets the Republican nomination.

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#16

No. My political views are extreme enough to not be represented by any candidate. My non-participation decreases the legitimacy of the current system, which I want to fail.

Why do you want the current system to fail? What do you prefer in its place? How likely do you think it is that, if the current system fails, it will be replaced by something you view as better?

Concentration of power in the hands of a single social class. Decentralized, direct democracy. Not very likely, but I see myself benefiting from the disruption.

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#17
I have only voted twice.

Why: I have a serious medical condition which limits how much I can take on. I spent a lot of years as a military wife and devoted mother, raising two special needs sons. This was just a helluva lot of work, more than most people seem to appreciate. Trying to stay up on The Issues was just not something I could manage. My plate was overly full as is. I saw no reason to vote if my choices were not based on some kind of meaningful information or opinion.

From what I gather, you see higher rates of voting and political activity in older people, precisely because their plate is less full (with launching a career, finding romance, raising kids, etc). It is possible that as I get older and my life works better, I may someday feel able to effectively participate in the process. I haven't made any decisions one way or the other. It wasn't a Stance. It was happenstance.

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#18
Yes. If I don't vote, I have no right to bitch about whatever scumbag takes over a given office for the next term.

Also, I might be naive enough to think that if I vote despite my cynicism and outspokenness against the shit politicians pull, maybe - just maybe - I might inspire just one other person to vote. And if I manage to do that, maybe they'll inspire someone else and eventually people will start engaging with politics again, instead of just handing the reins over to the people that stand to gain the most from voter disenfranchisement.

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#19

Yes. If I don't vote, I have no right to bitch about whatever scumbag takes over a given office for the next term. Also, I might be naive enough to think that if I vote despite my cynicism and outspokenness against the shit politicians pull, maybe - just maybe - I might inspire just one other person to vote. And if I manage to do that, maybe they'll inspire someone else and eventually people will start engaging with…

> Yes. If I don't vote, I have no right to bitch about whatever scumbag takes over a given office for the next term.

Please. When our choices are a turd sandwich and a douchebag, we absolutely have the right to complain.

“Whether it is exerted by ten men or ten billion, political authority is force … the power of the Rods and the Ax” - Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#20

Yes. If I don't vote, I have no right to bitch about whatever scumbag takes over a given office for the next term. Also, I might be naive enough to think that if I vote despite my cynicism and outspokenness against the shit politicians pull, maybe - just maybe - I might inspire just one other person to vote. And if I manage to do that, maybe they'll inspire someone else and eventually people will start engaging with…

[deleted]
Post reply on HN