(If you're a U.S. Citizen) Did you vote in the 2012 Presidential Election?

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by Datsyuk

Edit: Anyhoo - as a Canadian, I see people who are undecided, as a lot of people are when either outcome will have virtually no effect on their daily life and their riding is a lock for a certain party, so why is it seen as honourable to flip a coin and sway the outcome a fraction of a percentage point in either direction. We need to get over ourselves (here). Make a difference and take advantage of our freedom, by making positive changes by doing more than filling out a ballot.

That's, ummm, what's the word.......WRONG.

[Datsyuk]

Originally Posted by dak4n6

That's, ummm, what's the word.......WRONG.

The difference between a Republican or Democrat president might make a difference in your daily. I was speaking on behalf of my fellow Canadians and our elections, but even then I suppose there are some special interest groups that could lose or gain funding or some super wealthy people who might lose or gain even ways to hide their money.

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by Datsyuk

The difference between a Republican or Democrat president might make a difference in your daily. I was speaking on behalf of my fellow Canadians and our elections, but even then I suppose there are some special interest groups that could lose or gain funding or some super wealthy people who might lose or gain even ways to hide their money.

Maybe so, but in the US big ticket items that have or will have great influence on how we live are at stake that totally depend on who we elect: healthcare, social security retirement funds, taxes, economic strategies, etc, etc...

[Golfingdad]

I love how Nevada has a "Brewster's Millions" style "None of the Above" option for their elections.  At least there if you want to make a statement, it counts.

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

I love how Nevada has a "Brewster's Millions" style "None of the Above" option for their elections.  At least there if you want to make a statement, it counts.

Never knew that. I love it. I'm afraid I would have been using that button 80% of the time during my voting career.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by dak4n6

Never knew that. I love it. I'm afraid I would have been using that button 80% of the time during my voting career.

Me neither until last night.  Just Wiki'ed it, however, and found out that it is still pretty meaningless ...

"Even if the "None of These Candidates" option receives the most votes in an election, the actual candidate who receives the most votes still wins the election."

And it's also apparently unconstitutional ...

"In June 2012, anticipating a close race in Nevada during the 2012 presidential elections , the Republican National Committee challenged the constitutionality of the option. Fearing that the option would siphon votes from the Republican nominee, the RNC claimed that the option is not constitutional because if "None of these Candidates" received the most votes, it would not win the election.

The Nevada Attorney General , on behalf of the Secretary of State of Nevada , argued that the option is a protest vote intended to send a message and whose outcome is no different from not voting at all. On August 22, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Jones agreed with the plaintiffs and struck down the law allowing the option as unconstitutional. He refused to issue a stay of execution pending the outcome of an appeal, meaning the ban on this option would be immediate. ^[3]

On September 4, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an emergency stay against the district court's order. ^[4] The emergency stay bars the implementation of Judge Jones's injunction until the Ninth Circuit can hear an appeal. In the emergency stay order, the Ninth Circuit noted that printing of ballots must begin by September 7; as it is unlikely that the appeal will be concluded before that date, the ballots for the 2012 elections will continue to contain the "none of these candidates" option."

[finoky]

I am 53 and have voted in every election since I was 18. My dad was the same way so I guess I get it from him.

[Roblar]

I voted.

Apparently my politics/choices are at odds with about 70% of Oklahomans. I knew this going in, but I still voted anyway.

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by Roblar

I voted.

Apparently my politics/choices are at odds with about 70% of Oklahomans. I knew this going in, but I still voted anyway.

A liberal/moderate living in hostile territory...you have my sympathy. I hope at least the golf there is decent.

[Roblar]

Originally Posted by dak4n6

A liberal/moderate living in hostile territory...you have my sympathy. I hope at least the golf there is decent.

I'm originally from CA (with lots of time in Santa Cruz) --- I don't think it would matter what my politics were there: out here, I'm the extreme end of liberal...

And sadly, I can't really talk much about the golf. I've only played four courses out here - three of them only once!  I am more than challenged by the easy (and affordable) muni in Norman, and I can *mostly* play year round.  It's been great to me so far.

[highscoreinky]

I'm 54 and have never missed going to vote.  Does my vote count?  You bet it does, especially to me.

[ibstrokin]

Sure did, even though my guy lost.

[danieldrieberg]

Have not missed an opportunity to vote for 30 years. The hardest part is doing the right amount of research on BOTH sides of the issues to make a decision. I have NEVER voted straight ticket.

[meenman]

My wife stuck it to me and voted this year, so I had to go cancel her votes out.

[JasonK88S]

i did not vote. i am 23 years old and havent voted the two times that i was able to. I do not feel that i could have made an educated decision so i choose not to vote.

[David in FL]

i did not vote. i am 23 years old and havent voted the two times that i was able to. I do not feel that i could have made an educated decision so i choose not to vote.

I wish more people had your maturity. Too many people vote just because someone has told them that they should.....and without any idea of the actual issues.

[Clambake]

Originally Posted by JasonK88S

i did not vote. i am 23 years old and havent voted the two times that i was able to. I do not feel that i could have made an educated decision so i choose not to vote.

I actually admire your perspective and choice on this.    When I first became of voting age, much of the election information was fairly factual on the candidates and one could more easily choose between them based on their stated policies and what they believed in - the political ads were largely along the lines of " Hi, I'm running for office.   I believe in X, Y, and Z, and I'd like your vote ".     Now, the intense vitriolic nature of campaigns leaves little information on what the candidate is actually trying to achieve and instead focuses on why the other person is the wrong choice.      The news media is also far more politicized than it used to be as well, and since nearly all of what one knows about a candidate or issue is learned from a frequently biased source it is very easy to feel informed but to find that one isn't.

In California, we also have an extensive ballot proposition process that is sort of running loose, and it can be very difficult to determine what the many propositions actually mean.    Even reading the various positions for and against and the rebuttals to those positions, one found that there was extensive conflicting information on some of the more contentious propositions.    Someone's not telling the truth, but it isn't obvious who.   So I actually took an evening and read the detailed text of some of the propositions to try and understand for myself.    This took hours of reading some pretty convoluted language, and isn't something that everyone should have to do to make an informed decision.

In college, one of my Poly Sci professors said something that really stuck in my mind:  " For a democracy to actually function properly requires an intelligent and informed public ".     It has become very difficult to become truly informed and not simply become biased.

[JasonK88S]

Originally Posted by Clambake

I actually admire your perspective and choice on this.    When I first became of voting age, much of the election information was fairly factual on the candidates and one could more easily choose between them based on their stated policies and what they believed in - the political ads were largely along the lines of "Hi, I'm running for office.   I believe in X, Y, and Z, and I'd like your vote".     Now, the intense vitriolic nature of campaigns leaves little information on what the candidate is actually trying to achieve and instead focuses on why the other person is the wrong choice.      The news media is also far more politicized than it used to be as well, and since nearly all of what one knows about a candidate or issue is learned from a frequently biased source it is very easy to feel informed but to find that one isn't.

In California, we also have an extensive ballot proposition process that is sort of running loose, and it can be very difficult to determine what the many propositions actually mean.    Even reading the various positions for and against and the rebuttals to those positions, one found that there was extensive conflicting information on some of the more contentious propositions.    Someone's not telling the truth, but it isn't obvious who.   So I actually took an evening and read the detailed text of some of the propositions to try and understand for myself.    This took hours of reading some pretty convoluted language, and isn't something that everyone should have to do to make an informed decision.

In college, one of my Poly Sci professors said something that really stuck in my mind:  "For a democracy to actually function properly requires an intelligent and informed public".     It has become very difficult to become truly informed and not simply become biased.

Originally Posted by David in FL

I wish more people had your maturity. Too many people vote just because someone has told them that they should.....and without any idea of the actual issues.

I know so many people who vote because of how social media, tv, and radio sways them. Of course there are things to "like and dislike" about a president but like Clambake said... Its very hard to become truly informed and not simply biased. I may be wrong but from my understanding (and also my own family) about half of the voters in the United States will vote solely based on "what they are" meaning how their family has voted for years... If your republican you vote republican. If you are democrat, you vote democrat, and so on and so forth. It just seems silly to me. In retrospect, everything sounds appealing when you hear a candidate talking about the problems of our nations future but realistically its all about "how" we are going to get there. Things have to happen. Thats just my opinion, and it may or may not be educated but its how i feel. Then again im VERY politically challenged so therefore i just play golf and drink beer.