Do Our Votes Count ? WHY VOTE ?

Far be it for me to discourage you from shaking the flaccid dick of American democracy, but I would like you to consider a few things before you waste any of your time on November 2nd. A lot of people are pointing to the 2000 presidential election and talking about how much your vote will count. Bullshit. The pressure to engage in the conjugal act of representative government, now more than ever, outweighs the worth of your vote. Judging from the year 2000 results, more than half the votes cast in this coming election, votes cast for any given candidate, will be meaningless.

I’m not a statistician. However, my facts and math are accurate. Some of the things I am about to say might even be true.

First let’s have a quick review of the process by which we elect our president. 538 actual votes are cast for the president. This is the Electoral College, composed in part of party loyalists and important financial contributors. The Electoral College is not composed of you, so your vote will not go directly towards the election of the president.

“But,” you say (with poor grammar, might I add), “because members of the Electoral College are determined by the popular vote, my votes still counts.” First, you’re a baby and you shouldn’t argue with me. Second, while you are factually accurate as to the nature of the Electoral College, you are grievously mistaken about the weight of your puny vote. Yes, a party wins a state by garnering a majority of the votes cast by the unwashed masses (you). However, what is a simple majority?

Consider Gore’s margin of victory in the popular vote from 2000. Most estimates place the margin at around 500,000 votes. Hypothetically (that is to say, assuming 500,000 votes to be the actual margin of victory), 499,999 of those votes were redundant. My first point here is that all votes in excess of the point of majority (or plurality, as the case may be) are wasted. Roughly 12.5 million votes were wasted in this way

Second, a vote cast against the majority in any given state ultimately has no effect on who gets elected president and is therefore useless. For example, every vote cast for the Republican Party in the state of California is a wasted vote. The sum total of votes wasted in this manner is about 44.5 million.

All told, the last presidential election would have terminated with exactly the same result even if 57 million voters had decided not to go to the polls. Approximately 105 million people attempted to make their voices heard in the last presidential election, and over half of them failed.

Let’s say you’re a stubborn asshole who doesn’t agree with me. Let’s say you think that 48 million votes is still a lot of votes and that being a part of that isn’t such a bad prospect. If this is how you think, you’re probably a naïve loser, and there’s nothing naïve losers like better than pie. So let’s imagine that on November 2nd, we’ll be baking ourselves a nice, hot presidential election pie. And let’s imagine that our pie is one foot in diameter and filled with delicious votes. If we tried to represent a slice of pie that was equivalent to your vote, it would look like this: 2*pi*6” / 48 million. In math we have a word for that: Infinitesimal. It describes something that is so small it can be ignored. This is a great way to humiliate your lover, and an even better way to describe your contribution to the political process.

So while you munch on your slice of pie (which is about 190 nanometers thick), consider how you might better use your time on November 2nd. In keeping with the ever retrogressive nature of our government (rolling back protection for the environment, worker’s rights, civil liberties, fiscal and ethical accountability, etc), it might be best to try and get ahead of the curve before we’re all wearing tricorner hats and breeches again. I suggest secession

By: Sam Jenning

Does My Vote Count

Yes they count. Individual votes pick the electors who officially pick the President. If you don't vote, there aren't any electors. There are a few reasons why this was put into place, but the key point to understand is that our government is not a pure democracy; it is a republic. Just go vote for your candidate and let the system do its thing. Be happy that thousands of Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice to get any say at all and to have the freedom to complain about it.

RE:

Do Our Votes Count ? WHY VOTE ?

Electoral votes have superceeded our popular votes in the past.We are unable to change that fact.So why do we vote.Why do we as concerned parents of our great nation waste our time to vote.Is our voices truly heard?

You are so right! Look at the records of past elections. How many times have the electoral college failed to vote the people's choice. Look at how much of the United States do not even have the opportunity to vote for some of the candidates after the Northeast have raked them over the coals, all that is left is the one with the most money, best looking, and most professional "politician" I do vote, but I get very discouraged when I see that it is in vain.

To not vote is to spit in the face of every person past and present of this country. Our country was founded on the principal of by the people for the people. Think of all the men and women who have died protecting your right to say voting is stupid.

The Electoral College does seem like a scam but it is there for a reason. This allows us to quickly and efficiently elect a new president. In the days gone past this system worked really well. Now with technology the way it is I believe we need to revamp the system.

Just because the system needs a little work does not mean your vote does not count. Barely 40% of the people came out to vote in the last election. It is a right and to not exercise your right is not smart and that goes for all rights. Other countries turn out 75+% of the population for voting yet the greatest nation can only get maybe 40% of the population for a vote.

Young people today need to be taught that voting the single most powerful thing you can do to enact your will on the government. You should be proud that you voted even if your side lost the race. There are millions of people who do not get that choice they get whoever killed the last ruthless dictator. So think about all the people in the world that have no say in their government.

Why do we as concerned parents of our great nation waste our time to vote?

If you do your research and have a core group of values and you find the person that best represents your core values and you vote for that person it is not a waste of time. If you go to the poll and vote for whomever wares the cutest ties or the nicest earrings, then that is a waste of time.

Is our voices truly heard?

Yes they are, prove to me that they are not. This is the lamest question i have ever heard.

The problems we face today as a nation are not the cause of George Bush. They were caused by a nation blinded with the fact that they were the most powerful country in the world. We have let things get out of hand because too many people think the government knows best. We have let government officials get away with pork barrel spending, murder, rape, lying in front of the nation and we do nothing. This is why we are in such a mess today. If everyone would get out and vote and exercise their right to have a say in the system it might not be so broke.

we the people are too stupid to pick our president. we need to get rid of electoral collage and go back to every vote counts. 17 amendment was to give the rich the way to pick the one they want. why vote why have primarys if our vote does not count. millions of dollars spent for nothing.

Well, in fact your votes do count towards who wins electoral votes, so yes your vote does count. I'll admit I'd prefer a straight direct election to the electoral college, but if you're voting to see (say) who gets Californias 55 Electoral Votes, that's still a vote.

This sounds like a cop-out for you really do not value your freedom and the voice you have in this country. You should Vote because you never know what impact it could actually make. This is like saying well why even make choices in life. Or why work when I won't get welfare. Having that attitude keeps you oppressed. And if your opinion is not spiritually based, it seems ignorant to just assume your vote does not count. My vote for Obama will count for me and that is why I am voting this time. I should have voted last year. I used to think as you do but I have grown much more intelligent and wise.

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/5ADLZ

You should Google the Electoral College and see why our Founding Fathers set it up. With that said, I think with mass communication and the internet the way it is, we could probably be fine with the popular vote.

A more serious problem is the Super Delegates that are part of the Democratic primary system.

It’s called the Democratic Party, but one aspect of the party’s nominating process is at odds with grass-roots democracy.

Voters don’t choose the 842 unpledged “super-delegates” who comprise nearly 20 percent of the number of delegates needed to clinch the Democratic nomination.

The category includes Democratic governors and members of Congress, former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, former vice president Al Gore, retired congressional leaders such as Dick Gephardt, and all Democratic National Committee members, some of whom are appointed by party chairman Howard Dean.

These super-delegates don’t have superhuman powers, but unlike rank-and-file Democrats, they do automatically get to cast a vote at the convention to decide who the party’s nominee will be.

reference:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18277678

Makes a mockery of the whole process doesn't it!