Ask HN: Do you vote? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#21

Post by DanBC » Fri, Oct 09, 2015, 9:46 PM UTC

cweagans wrote: post #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…

If you vote you are accepting and endorsing the system.

If you don't vote, and it's an active choice you've made, you're rejecting the system. That's a valid choice.

(Having said that I vote in English local and national elections).

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#22

Post by jseeff » Fri, Oct 09, 2015, 10:32 PM UTC

Yes. I believe it to be a civic privilege and duty. My mother comes from a country where (for her gender and religion) her civil freedoms were severely restricted and I think it is important to engage in the process even if you don't like the options. I believe a void vote is better than no vote at all and I think real engagement to change the system is the best (although a difficult) solution to the "no one represents me" argument.

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#23

Post by avmich » Sat, Oct 10, 2015, 12:34 AM UTC

cpursley wrote: post #19

cweagans wrote: post #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…

> 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

Wow, somebody on HN is taking Heinlein very seriously :) .

OP - really good words! Tempted to print the whole passage and hang in the office :) .

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#24

Post by toomuchtodo » Sat, Oct 10, 2015, 1:16 AM UTC

Yes, because I believe the economy can be a more "fair" place, and that everyone should have a minimum quality of life (voting for Bernie Sanders in 2016).

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#25

Post by ddingus » Sat, Oct 10, 2015, 2:11 AM UTC

Yes.

I devote about 5 or so percent of my free time to civics. This means learning about my local options, who actually can impact my life in notable and significant ways, as well as just being active. Being active means doing advocacy actions, the occasional trip to the State capitol, phone banking, GOTV efforts of various kinds, etc...

I sure wish I knew how to convince more 20 somethings to vote.

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#26

Post by joeclark77 » Sat, Oct 10, 2015, 5:01 AM UTC

I always pray for a blizzard on election day. When there's bad weather, a lot of the low-information types who are only voting because they want the "I voted!" sticker, will stay home. At least that's my theory.

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#27

Post by gyardley » Sat, Oct 10, 2015, 5:24 AM UTC

Nope. Not legally allowed to vote in my birth country, since I've been away too long, and not legally allowed to vote in the country I currently live in, since I'm not a citizen.

I have to admit I don't see much point voting on a state, congressional, or federal level when living in areas that are completely skewed in favor of a single political party. Were I able to vote, perhaps I'd vote in the primaries.

It doesn't bother me too much - when I really care about an issue, which isn't that often, I call a politician's office or two and donate something to an appropriate PAC. That's probably more effective than voting directly.

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#28

Post by arisAlexis » Sat, Oct 10, 2015, 12:07 PM UTC

I think voting should be obvious and a much better question would be: do you vote the candidate you really want or the least bad of the candidates that could actually be elected? (In parliamentary democracies with many parties).

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#29

Post by thrownear » Sat, Oct 10, 2015, 12:21 PM UTC

No, because I see no parties any more. Because there are no philosophies, no ideologies any more. There are only group of people who put up an appearance of separate parties to engage in the farce called election. After it is over, they go back to the ruling/opposing party drama, while collaborating and robbing people at the back.

Re: Ask HN: Do you vote?

#30

Post by zhte415 » Sat, Oct 10, 2015, 2:29 PM UTC

Voted: 'None of the above'

This was an option that was successfully won for many years over (sometimes concurrently, sometimes not) for the Student Union at my first university, Imperial College London.