Does "your" vote matter?
 

Does "your" state's vote matter?

I'm talking about presidential elections only.

If this gets moved .... I understand why .... sorry 'hawk ;)

I've always voted, but it didn't matter ... nor my state either... not once! I've given this a WHOLE lot of thought ... or just half a thought ... mebbe even less :D

It may not directly affect the outcome, but for better or worse, the Country as a whole will be aware of what the majority of the residents think in your state think should be President.

No, I live in California for now

I get that some people think their vote doesn’t matter based on a particular State, but I’m a firm believer that everyone should vote, regardless. The voter participation rate in this country is abysmal…certainly not correlated to the level of daily complaining by most peeps.

It definitely matters, in whatever state you live in. Voting is one element of patriotism and exercising your rights and responsibilities as a citizen.

Voting puts citizenship in perspective of how lucky we all are to live in our great country and not take it for granted.

I get an overwhelming sense of pride every 2 years and especially every 4, showing up at the school, giving my address, confirming my name and receiving my ballot from 2 little old ladies ending with slipping it into the machine and woosh, it's done.

What a great country we live in, in good times and bad, how can you not vote.

I am a Red guy in a Blue state so my vote rarely makes a difference, but it does count and does matter. So, I always vote.

I agree with everyone about voting ... and I do vote.

But I also know it's never really mattered ... not even once. I feel like a b-ball player put in a lopsided game for the last 30 seconds.... So I played and scored .... so what?

No matter :D

I have been voting since just after Nixon resigned. I have never missed a presidential vote. I don;t live in a swing state, but I am happy to be part of the most right leaning state in the country.

Yes, it gives the illusion that you have some sort of control . You don't

I voted in 1972. The results were terrible. Have not voted since. Politics.just piss me off . I try my best to ignore all of it.

I honestly feel like not voting, but I do. This country is so f'd up right now. Between the right wing religious nut jobs and the everything should be free crowd, I land squarely in the middle. I have no candidates and no voice. Honestly none of this really matters to me personally. I'm a 61 year old white guy who's working life is close to being over. The younger generation needs to steer the country to whatever it becomes next. A religious state which has taken away a women's right to choose, or a welfare state where everything is free and nothing is great. My politics are from the 70's when Washington state frequently elected Republican governors and sent Republican senators to DC. Now Seattle dictates our Presidential election. A city so messed up that I can barely stand to be there any more. The electoral college needs to go. I'm sure this will be in PARF soon.

A lot of military men and women have given up their lives protecting our democracy . It absolutely matters .

If your vote doesn't matter then it's one of two things.

1) The state's population you live in as a whole is determining that's the way they like things. Works so well - Kalifornia, New York, Illinois, Colorado...

2) There is rampant fraud in your states election and it will always be blue or red.

It takes a huge seismic shift to change the direction of the Titanic...

That's true, but. I have a son deployed as I type this. The question was does your vote matter in your state. In ours, if you vote R, it does not. Seattle dictates the electoral college in our state just as Portland does in Oregon. I'm not an R in this era. I also vehemently dislike the politics of the crowd in our state that wants rent control, thinks a burger flipper should make $20/hour, and thinks everyone should be able to openly inject heroin on the sidewalk. So, I have no candidate. Even if I was a hat wearing MAGA zealot, my vote would not matter.

If you don't vote you shouldn't complain about the government.

Vote. It matters.

This.

Heck I voted for Ross Perot back in the day as a Protest Vote against the system.

How about if you vote, write them, go see them in their office about stupid things they are planning to do and it still does not matter.

Of course your vote doesn't matter but short of an armed revolution it's all we got. For 52 years, unfortunately, I have voted for the lesser of evils and it will always be that way. I'll keep voting because we got nothin else

And if you really don't like your choices, get involved in the selection process.

Best
Les

In California for 2020, the totals were Biden 11,110,250 Trump 6,006,429. It wouldn't have mattered if Biden got 11,110,249 votes instead, but there's a principle and I like participating.

I think the question is flawed, though. There are a lot of other votes to be made at the same time for other races and initiatives, and they might be more closely contested.

all politics are local politics.

so yes, always.

and any notion that you shouldn't vote because you don't like the government, or the world is in terrible shape, or you dont like your choices, or that it doesn't effect you much so who cares ... it effects the women you are married to, the children you raise or know, and the very people doing the bad things ... they are voting. so you need to.

But my vote, nor my state's EC votes EVER have ... so how does it really matter?

I vote .... I get it as to why ya do .... but I don't fool myself either :D

It just doesn't .... but I will ;)

I've never seen an election decided by a single vote... at any level.

So I stand by my flawed thread title :D.

I encourage everyone to vote.... and I do!

Doesn't matter ;)

Do you think an election might go the other way if a lot more people who didn't vote did? Do you think a recount might/might not take place that wouldn't have otherwise?

I think if one votes, they're more likely to study the choices and be more informed citizens. Maybe citizens that can recognize disinformation. Maybe citizens that will discuss and influence others in their lives. Or sign a petition, write a letter to a politician, or make a contribution.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1719337600.jpg

Don't know how old you are but think "Hanging Chad" in Florida circa 2000...

LOL ... I'd been voting a couple of decades before Chad. Thank you for the confirmation that my Fl. friends' votes didn't matter in that election either!

I don't have many left :D

Many years ago I dated a woman from a semi-large family -- 14 adults for dinner at the folks' house every Sunday. Before every election after Sunday dinner they'd get together and discuss candidates and ballot measures, with everyone getting a say and debating pros & cons. Then they'd decide how to vote -- as a bloc -- on every issue/office. Their premise was they didn't want any one person's vote to cancel out another's. One of the coolest civic-minded traditions I've ever seen.

this is a terrible idea and not civic minded in the least, and I'm glad we live in a country with a private ballot.

ie, this is just a way for parents to push their children to voting the same as them.

YMMV.

On a side note, you seem -- even by CP standards -- uncharacteristically bitter today . . .

bitter? no.

just tired of power differentials praised as civic mindedness. like if you dont think there is a power differential between a kid and their parents, esp at 18 ... ho boy. this falls into the category of "no true way to consent" like large age gap relationships etc.

its also weird that parents would try to force this on children. if you raised your kids right ... why would you need to argue with them on who to vote for? also if you actually knew your children, you probably can tell who they are voting for anyway.

like, all round, just a weird passive aggressive concealed power move. yuck.

Did you see the Rusty thread about political opinions?

There would only be 13 adults were I in that family....

My pre-election fast would prohibit me from participating :D

I am not as cool as them ;)

But interesting "group think" for sure.... thanks for sharing!

Assume much? These were all adults, youngest in their late 20s. If you'd been there as I was youd've experienced some pretty heated discussions, definitely not top-down or one way. But you do you.

Where I live it does not matter, in terms of presidential election results (not talking about some philosophical, it matters, as mention in many of the responses), as even if Jesus Christ was running blue he would not win to OMB or any other Repub.

That said, it's a tough sell, to me, that there is much matter to voting for Prez since 99% of the time both/all candidates are some form of blithering, clueless dumbass, falsehood telling scam artist, bribe/kickback-taking criminal, narcissistic degenerate, and/or all around lump of ambulatory excrement. :D

nope

Dale that's a great story and IMHO, with all due respect to contrary opinions, totally civic-minded. Those kinds if discussions are ALWAYS illuminating. In them, you hear things that make you go 'hmmm....' Perspectives you were not yet seeing. Facts you didn't know.

Also, I've come to very much appreciate consensus decision-making. Seen it many times. The process is not finished until everyone says they can live with the outcome even if they don't love it. This would be good for the country but not possible. Possible in families though.

LOL ...I've been so thoroughly disgusted by the one's I did vote for after they won and were in office that I just don't care anymore....

I am one proud DRINO :D

If you lived in an all red state, would your vote matter more or less than it does now?:rolleyes:

So,,, as a collective??

Sounds like a similar concept that I don’t endorse.

Can’t say I’m a fan of that at all. My mother’s vote is no business of mine and vice versa. My mother believes in the sanctity of voter privacy. So much so that she doesn’t share even with my Pops.

As it should be for those that wish to exercise that hard earned right.