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Have You Voted Yet?

By TChris, Section Elections 2006
Posted on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 10:25:43 AM EST
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This is one of many articles and editorials today encouraging people to exercise their right to vote. Here's how it ends:

My son isn’t sure what he’ll do after his tour is up, but he is passionate about wildlife and wilderness. Meanwhile, he has a year in the Middle East, for which he leaves on Saturday. He’s pretty miffed that only three members of Congress have sons in the Iraq war.

But what miffs all four of us is hearing that someone didn’t vote.

Problem, meet solution. Go vote.

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    Have You Voted Yet? | 7 comments (7 topical)

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    Did I vote? (none / 0) (#1)
    by scribe on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 10:49:56 AM EST
    Yes.  No problems.  #41 at my precinct, about 15 minutes after opening (they always get heavy traffic early from the on-the-way-to-work crowd).

    Do they sell lottery tickets at polling places? (none / 0) (#2)
    by roy on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 10:53:25 AM EST
    I voted once, in 2000.  I was young and naive and didn't know better.  Now I know, and I don't vote.  I took a lot of math classes in college -- some of them twice -- so I can say with some credibility "one vote doesn't make a difference".  I ran the numbers on the 2000 election, and the outcome would have been the same if I had stayed home or voted elsewise.

    In country with 296M people, a state with 21M, and a county with almost 1M, it's not just that the probability of a 1-vote margin is tiny, 1 vote is within the margin of error of any known counting mechanism.  So the practical outcome of an election decided by 1 vote is more random than not.

    And if there's ever an important election decided by exactly 1 vote, it'll be mayhem.  The never ending allegations of fraud -- rational or otherwise -- would tear the community apart.  In the face of that, it's better to concede to a tie and re-vote, or even to take the high road and let the other side win by a clear 2-vote mandate.

    If you really want to make a difference, to fulfill your civic duty, you're better off spending the time elsewhere.  Teach a class of underprivileged children.  Watch those webcams at the Mexican border.  Pass out copies of The Fountainhead to the homeless.  Or advocate your issues to others, to get them to vote the way you would vote if you thought it would matter.

    touchscreens (none / 0) (#3)
    by roger on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 11:15:57 AM EST
    I voted this morning. They had several written ballot booths, and one touch screen for anyone who wanted to get through quickly.

    They told me that on ly 3 people used the touchscreen.

    This in a rebublican district!

    sorry roy, you re wrong............. (none / 0) (#4)
    by cpinva on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 11:19:18 AM EST
    perhaps you should've taken some of those classes 3 times, because twice clearly wasn't sufficient.

    while it's statistically valid to state that one vote doesn't make a difference, multiply that by hundreds or thousands or millions, and it does.

    in small town elections, one vote could well be the difference between victory and defeat.

    it also sends a message, to the powers that be, that someone is watching them. if every single eligible voter actually voted, congress would get the hint.

    Multiplication (none / 0) (#5)
    by roy on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 01:13:14 PM EST
    If I could multiply my vote by hundreds of thousands, I would.  I've been looking for a new software job, maybe Diebold is hiring?

    Parent
    I voted (none / 0) (#6)
    by Jen M on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 03:24:53 PM EST
    but I don't buy lotto tickets

    I vote in maryland so we had touch screens

    I went in mid afternoon so there was nothing like the horrific crowd two years ago

    No problems whatsoever

    Does this mean no more awful ads for a while
    no more Virginia, DC, AND Maryland ads  :p

    I wouldn't (none / 0) (#7)
    by kdog on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 03:41:32 PM EST
    be so sure jen...will your vote count?  I trust those touchscreens about as far as I can throw them.

    Parent
    Have You Voted Yet? | 7 comments (7 topical)

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