# California Proposition 23
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-proposition-23/14453
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [March 7, 2000, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-proposition-23/14453 "2000-03-07T19:39:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Beauxeau\_IX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauxeau_IX)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-proposition-23/14453/1 "2000-03-07T19:39:00Z")
This stems from **Rilchiam** ’s thread on voting for proposition in today’s CA primary. I didn’t want to hijack his thread (okay, actually I just wanted to pop my cherry and start my very own first thread), so I’m starting this one…
There is a proposition on today ballot in California to allow voters an offical “none of the above” option for major state and federal elections. [CA Prop 23](http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/03/07/none.of.the.above/)
I don’t live in Cali, so I have no official say; but I am a registered SDMB user, so I have an unofficial say, dammit! My first thought is that this is pretty cool, and I would like to see Americans offically express their discontent.
Some might see it as throwing away a vote, but I think taking the “lesser of two evils” approach to voting could also be considered throwing away a vote. I don’t know that this option would help in changing American politics (or politicians), but it would be fun to watch.
What does everyone else think?
Ahhh… i was good for me, how was it for you? [puff, puff]
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### Author:  [@Beauxeau\_IX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauxeau_IX)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-proposition-23/14453/2 "2000-03-07T19:42:00Z")
Okay, that last line was supposed to be “IT was good for me…”
Kind of a Freudian slip to let let you see the true narcissit me. I love me sooooo much!
But now that we’re on that topic, how was I for you?
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### Author:  [@Beauxeau\_IX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauxeau_IX)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-proposition-23/14453/3 "2000-03-07T19:46:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Originally posted by Beauxeau IX:
> **Kind of a Freudian slip to let let you see the true narcissit me.**
okay, there should be only one let, and it’s narcissist. n-a-r-i-s-s-i-S-t.
These tpyos are intentional to up my post count.
Get it? Ha-ha! “tpyos”?
Okay, I’ll shut the fuck up now.
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### Author:  [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-proposition-23/14453/4 "2000-03-07T19:52:00Z")
I don’t know. I think Americans are cynical enough about the electoral process without the state encouraging them.
I vote “no” on all propositions regardless of their merit. I don’t have the staff and research facilities that a legislator has to make an informed choice. The only information you get on these propositions are from people with a bias one way or the other. My state assemblyperson and senator get paid for making state laws, I don’t. It’s their job, let them do it.
BTW-Rilchiam is a woman.
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### Author:  [@PTVroman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PTVroman)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-proposition-23/14453/5 "2000-03-07T20:04:00Z")
From an informational standpoint, it certainly would be interesting to see how many voted “none of the above”. However, what happens to those votes? I assume they are truely thrown away. Then the winner is the one who has the most devoted followers, not the one who represents the feelings of the majority of voters.
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_“The large print givith, and the small print taketh away.”_
Tom Waites, “Step Right Up”
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### Author:  [@Cowboy\_Greg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowboy_Greg)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-proposition-23/14453/6 "2000-03-07T20:10:00Z")
I tend to agree with Ursa on the propositions – most of them are either giveaways for some big-money industry or thought up by people who wear tinfoil hats to bed to prevent them from the orbiting mind-control lasers.
One interesting site is [calvoter.org’s Follow the Money](http://www.calvoter.org/followthemoney/index.html) page – you can see just who’s bankrolling what. It’s kind of scary, but most enlightening.
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A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door.
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### Author:  [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-proposition-23/14453/7 "2000-03-07T20:10:00Z")
Do they get rid of the government office if “none of the above” wins? That would be cool.
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### Author:  [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-proposition-23/14453/8 "2000-03-07T21:12:00Z")
Ursa:
You have to be careful when voting no. Fer instance, a no on Prop 28 will repeal last year’s Prop 10, the $.50 tax on cigs. Or no on 30&31 will repeal a law already passed by the State Assembly and Senate.
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### Author:  [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-proposition-23/14453/9 "2000-03-07T21:15:00Z")
It just seems like a waste of time to me. I voted “no” because you already have the option of leaving that vote blank, which gets the same result – no vote is cast for any of the candidates.
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“I don’t know…I don’t know.” – St. DooDah
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### Author:  [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2000, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-proposition-23/14453/10 "2000-03-08T02:25:00Z")
I voted no also. I did leave some stuff blank, for a couple reasons. For one, I wasn’t familiar with the candidates in a couple sections (state senator and local Democratic committee) and for another, I’m moving from this area in a matter of weeks and didn’t think I should be making random decisions for a place that I won’t be a resident. What a silly proposition, just a goofy waste of my time.
I wonder how many people left that one blank.
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~Harborina
“Don’t Do It.”