voting - a waste of time for anyone this year?

[DrPizza]

I just walked down to the local polling station. A complete waste of time. Town justice: one choice (our current town justice who's doing a fine job.) Town clerk: one choice (our current town clerk who's doing a fine job.) Highway supervisor, etc., etc., etc. I considered NOT voting for one guy, simply because he was a member of the "Git R Done" party (in addition to a major party.) But, of course, he was unopposed. As I glanced at the ballot, I commented to the election official, "wow, not a single choice to make. Oh wait! State judge!" "Look closer." Oh, he's running as a democrat, republican, right to life party, family party, every single party (except the git r done party.)


*I don't mean that voting in general is a waste of time; I just wonder if anyone's time was wasted this year who also had absolutely nothing to vote for; no decisions to make. Of course, I could have done a write-in vote, but I'm quite satisfied with the people running the town. (Although the guys who redid the dirt road on the side of my property really didn't need to build it up THAT much.

 

[Tsavo]

If voting could change anything, they'd make it illegal.

 

[SandEagle]

we should be able to vote on AT on topics like mod selection, member removal, ban lengths, etc. AT = communism

 

[Kadarin]

we should be able to vote on AT on topics like mod selection, member removal, ban lengths, etc. AT = communism

I strongly suspect the majority would vote to allow TFP back.

 

[Kadarin]

Voting is only a waste of time if there is no real choice. In a two party system, if both candidates essentially stand for the same thing (tax cuts for corporations and the extremely wealthy) with just minor differences, there really is no choice and your vote does not matter. Not where it really counts.

 

[BoomerD]

"Meet the new boss...same as the old boss."

Here, it was school board, city council, and mayoral elections, with a few "non-binding advisory votes" that the city and county completely ignore when they want to do something anyway.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I didn't even realize it was election day until I looked at the calendar. Usually on my drive to school I come by many posters and signs for mayor X or sheriff Y or whatever but I didn't even notice any.

 

[SunnyD]

Voting is a waste of time any year. I refuse to cast a ballot for "the lesser of two evils", so to speak. Sadly, the only way I could hope to effect change in the country or even my municipality would be to get elected myself. Unfortunately, I don't have $$$ to buy errr... run a campain for a seat, and I refuse to be "bought" in order to get elected.

 

[DaveSimmons]

It was worth it for me here in Washington state: Several initiatives, county officers, school board, and a 3 city council seats.

I'm lucky though, it's vote by mail here so just no trip to a polling place needed.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

There was at least one major issue here in ohio - Senate bill 5 (issue 2). Besides that and a local fire levy things were pretty slow.

 

[IronWing]

If there is only one candidate on the ballot for an office and I don't like the candidate I write in somebody. The reason is that in reporting the results, our county recorder counts all unchecked choices as "undercounts" which gives the candidate the opportunity to claim it was voter error, not voter disgust that limited the scale of victory.

 

[DaveSimmons]

If there is only one candidate on the ballot for an office and I don't like the candidate I write in somebody. The reason is that in reporting the results, our county recorder counts all unchecked choices as "undercounts" which gives the candidate the opportunity to claim it was voter error, not voter disgust that limited the scale of victory.

Which is why I also vote _for_ uncontested candidates if I think they're doing a decent job, to prevent write-ins from being taken too seriously

 

[grrl]

I strongly suspect the majority would vote to allow TFP back.

And ban SandEagle.

 

[DrPizza]

Which is why I also vote _for_ uncontested candidates if I think they're doing a decent job, to prevent write-ins from being taken too seriously

That's actually a good point. By voting, I help to ensure that there isn't some little group of 30 people who realize, "hey, no one will show up. Let's all do write ins for each other & take over the town. Bwuahahaha!"

 

[Old Hippie]

I'm in Ohio and Issue 2 needed resolved.

 

[olds]

we should be able to vote on AT on topics like mod selection,...

We have.

 

[KGB]

To the OP:

If you are digusted or discouraged by the lack of opposition, why not run for office yourself?

 

[GeekDrew]

I'm also in Ohio. Issues 1-3 were important, though Issue 2 was probably the most important of the three. We had numerous important county races as well... most of which were soundly defeated.

It's disgusting that in order to actually change anything, you have to have the money to buy your way into office.

 

[Old Hippie]

To the OP:

If you are digusted or discouraged by the lack of opposition, why not run for office yourself?

I'd go a little further and say that you aren't entitled to bitch about any issues unless you're registered to vote.

I've never been in the political area here but I'm wondering how many would be eligible to discuss issues?

 

[DrPizza]

To the OP:

If you are digusted or discouraged by the lack of opposition, why not run for office yourself?

I didn't say that though. I'm very satisfied with the way things have been run in our town. People had suggested at one point that I run, but at this time, why? Those in charge know what they're doing, and they're doing a good job.