Is everyone who is eligible to vote, registered to vote?

[Smallville]

In Missouri you have until this coming Monday to register and be able to vote in the General Election in November. In Kansas I think it's 15 days prior to the election. But all states have their own rules. If you're not registered yet, get it done before it's too late! Don't think your vote doesn't matter because if everyone who thought that would get out and vote things can really get shaken up in Washington!

[julie_m]

This public service announcement has been brought to you by Smallville.

Love it...My first year voting (MN) I started in August trying to get registered and get my absentee ballot sent to college (also in MN). Apparently, three months isn't enough for them to get this done. I was on the phone up until that day...then I walked into the nearest voting office and demanded my right to vote...apparently you can't do that (since I didn't own property or have a single bill in that county) and they barred me from voting. My calls and emails to the state were not returned.

(And our votes really counted, it was the year of the whole Wellstone debacle. I plan to b*tch about this until the day I pass away.) Start early and insist it get done!

[iacas]

Registered today, and wrote about my personal conflict with this election .

[Smallville]

This public service announcement has been brought to you by Smallville.

Thanks Julie! Heck yeah, if you don't get out and vote how can you complain if Obama gets voted in?! OMG did I just say that out loud? OK, in giving equal time, if you don't get out and vote how can you complain if McCain gets elected? You can't rightly bitch if you don't vote.

[Uber$winG]

I’m voting for Harry Longshanks, as a write-in candidate of course. His unilateral grammar platform should right this listing Republic.

[julie_m]

I’m voting for Harry Longshanks, as a write-in candidate of course. His unilateral grammar platform should right this listing Republic.

HAHA! You can try, my dear, although I do believe it's a pseudonym.

[iacas]

You can't rightly bitch if you don't vote.

Yeah, people like to say that, but that's not entirely true either. There's almost no point in voting if you're a Republican in California, for example, so why bother?

I don't vote in every local Erie election because sometimes there's not a snowflake's chance in hell it'll matter. Doesn't mean I can't complain about the YAD (yet another Democrat) that's elected.

[Smallville]

But if every California Republican who felt that way would actually vote instead of saying that it doesn't matter anyway, yes it would make a difference. As long as a bunch of Democrat Californians didn't decide to vote instead of sitting at home.

As a general rule, states tend to vote the same way election after election. But if enough people would take a stand and do something about it, things can change.

I have never been a big fan of the electoral college where if you win the state, you generally win all the electoral votes (I don't thinks it's required that they vote according to the popular vote). But would be more in favor of the electoral votes being decided by the population areas (i.e., metropolitan areas would get more electoral votes than rural areas, but there are more rural areas . . . kind of split the electoral votes around the state according to the popular vote of the area). Good luck getting that passed through!

[mikelz]

I have voted in every election since 1969 (that's when I turned 21 - then the voting age).

I do not understand why anyone would not vote.
I guess they think it won't make any difference.
If you don't vote, you can be assured you don't make any difference.

[Smallville]

I have voted in every election since 1969 (that's when I turned 21 - then the voting age).

Good to hear, too bad more people don't excercise their right to vote every time. I've voted every year since 1980. I voted for John Anderson because I wanted to rebel and not vote for either Party Candidate! (It's OK, Reagan won anyway!). I've voted Republican every election but one since. I hate to admit that but it was 1996

[dave s]

I'm in. Moved since last presidential election. Registered in new county and awaiting confirmation and voting location.

dave

[iacas]

But if every California Republican who felt that way would actually vote instead of saying that it doesn't matter anyway, yes it would make a difference. As long as a bunch of Democrat Californians didn't decide to vote instead of sitting at home.

In other words, unless you can guarantee that everyone else will do something, your own actions are still meaningless in this situation. Since you can't guarantee it (or even come close), what I said holds true.

I understand the logic of it, but the reality is quite different than the logic. And even in Erie, in certain elections, every Republican still couldn't outweigh "the Democrats who choose to show up and vote." I have a feeling it might be similar in CA. It's not just a little bit Democrat, but a whole lot, isn't it? And if the Democrats figured out "gee, this will be the one year every Republican will vote," you can bet they'd show up in bigger numbers to protect their side. The logic of it is fine. The reality is a completely different animal. I don't live in California - instead, I live in a state that's historically been pretty close (even if my county is strong in one direction) - so I vote. I did in Florida, too. Good for me. Whoopty doo. But while "if you don't vote you have no right to complain" may be a great way to try to get people to vote, it's not the truth. The government still spends your tax dollars whether you vote or not, still sends our friends, children, fathers, sisters, etc. to war (or not), and on down the line, and to me, those things are a whole lot more important than whether you voted or not in getting to voice your opinion. Heck, "if you don't vote, you have no right to complain" is practically anti-free speech if you want to go to what I'd consider a slightly too-extreme conclusion.

[mikelz]

Good to hear, too bad more people don't excercise their right to vote every time. I've voted every year since 1980. I voted for John Anderson because I wanted to rebel and not vote for either Party Candidate! (It's OK, Reagan won anyway!). I've voted Republican every election but one since. I hate to admit that but it was 1996

I'm a Democrat. That doesn't matter.

It's nice to know that you and I are both among the people the candidates speak to. Oh, I voted for John Anderson (still have a campaign button). That election was the worst pair of choices ever, IMHO I take that back: Nixon and Humphrey (but I wasn't old enough to vote in that one).

[Smallville]

In other words, unless you can guarantee that everyone else will do something, your own actions are still meaningless in this situation. Since you can't guarantee it (or even come close), what I said holds true.

No I can't "guarantee" it! But how would you feel if something VERY important to you was voted down by one vote, and you didn't vote? They do recounts when the results are very close. The way I remember it, Kerry was going to beat Bush in the last one but enough Republicans voted to make it go the other way.

And even in Erie, in certain elections, every Republican still couldn't outweigh "the Democrats who choose to show up and vote." I have a feeling it might be similar in CA. It's not just a little bit Democrat, but a whole lot, isn't it? And if the Democrats figured out "gee, this will be the one year every Republican will vote," you can bet they'd show up in bigger numbers to protect their side.

That's why everyone should excercise their right to vote. There are always "upsets" that might not have happened because it was such a foregone conclusion that such and such was going to happen that people in favor didn't bother to vote and whatever it ws ended up getting the short end of the vote. Not always, but they do happen.

I don't live in California - instead, I live in a state that's historically been pretty close (even if my county is strong in one direction) - so I vote. I did in Florida, too. Good for me. Whoopty doo.

You say whoopty doo like it doesn't matter if you voted. In your opinion it might not, in my opinion (for what my opinion is worth) it does. I'm glad you did. I'm glad when anyone does even if it doesn't agree with my views. At least they voted.

But while "if you don't vote you have no right to complain" may be a great way to try to get people to vote, it's not the truth. The government still spends your tax dollars whether you vote or not, still sends our friends, children, fathers, sisters, etc. to war (or not), and on down the line, and to me, those things are a whole lot more important than whether you voted or not in getting to voice your opinion. Heck, "if you don't vote, you have no right to complain" is practically anti-free speech if you want to go to what I'd consider a slightly too-extreme conclusion.

It's OK that you believe that. I choose not to believe that. That's what's great about this country. You can believe what you want. But if I know someone didn't vote I can choose not to listen to them complain just as people who didn't vote can choose not to listen to me complain. Maybe "no

right to complain" is too tough a response. I'll agree with your thought of "less credibility" if you didn't vote. Seems fair enough to me.

[iacas]

It's OK that you believe that. I choose not to believe that. That's what's great about this country. You can believe what you want. But if I know someone didn't vote I can choose not to listen to them complain.

And that, friends, is called taking the cheap and easy way out. So much for actual discussion. I won't even get into the arguments I've heard that not voting can be just as powerful a message as voting.

And so there's no confusion, I think everyone should vote, even if it likely won't mean anything. Where I disagree is with the basic "if you don't vote, you have no right to complain" bullshit. It's not a binary thing: you might have less credibility, but you don't have "no right" to complain. Yes, you're free to disagree. I just think it's a bit cheap to plug your ears and hum a tune when someone challenges you on it.

[iacas]

Oh, and the easiest place to register might just be rockthevote.com , so I recommend people go there, even if you're not a member of the MTV crowd.

Register to Vote

[Smallville]

Oh, and the easiest place to register might just be rockthevote.com , so I recommend people go there, even if you're not a member of the MTV crowd.

+1 on that. I actually visited that website earlier today, thanks for mentioning it.

[immts007]

Even if you think you are registered, you might want to check and make sure:

http://www.canivote.org/

Don't be a victim of voter caging.