# Do you tell people who you vote for? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 15, 2008, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851 "2008-11-15T12:55:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/1 "2008-11-15T12:55:48Z")
New Zealand has just had an election (8/11 or 11/8 depending on how you write it) obviously it followed a much bigger election in the US, so politics have been a big topic of conversation lately. Australians are fairly well known for being…open or not afraid to hold or give an opinion. An Australian ex-pat newsreader (Alison Mau) commented on the difference between living in NZ and Oz at election time, she was shocked that Kiwis would ask and answer the question about who they voted for. She claimed Aussies would ask anything else but would not say “who did you vote for?”. In the brief time since our election I have asked and been asked that question many times. I have had no issue with answering (Labour, my side lost) and have felt no social barrier has been crossed when I asked anyone (nobody I asked seemed to feel uncomfortable answering). Do you ask people who they voted for? Do you tell who you voted for? If not, why? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/2 "2008-11-15T13:53:18Z")
Sure, why not? My friends all know my political opinions anyway. In a business situation, I might be a little reticent to bring it up if I were dealing with someone who I was pretty sure was on the opposite side of the fence, to avoid getting into a political argument that would not be appropriate to that setting, but if asked would have no problem answering. ---
**Author:** ![firstname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ab992/32.png) [@firstname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/firstname)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/3 "2008-11-15T13:54:52Z")
Australian who has no problem asking or answering these questions, don’t see what the big deal is, often leads to an interesting debate. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/4 "2008-11-15T19:47:00Z")
The lawn signs and tee shirts make it hard to hide. I passed lawn signs out in my neighborhood. I have 6 Obama tee shirts I wear at racquetball. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/5 "2008-11-15T19:54:39Z")
Sure. All the time. There are those who are economically dependent on people who would disapprove of their voting choices, and for them the secret ballot is critical. But I’m not one of those people. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/6 "2008-11-15T20:29:21Z")
I don’t tell, and people here don’t ask. I don’t know who my husband voted for in our recent federal election. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/7 "2008-11-15T20:38:04Z")
I posted news of my vote for Obama in a thread here. I don’t have any problem talking about how I vote most of the time because I feel confident in my reasons for my choices and I don’t fear any reprisals for being open about it. It’s also relatively hard to hide the fact that I’m a bleeding-heart, flaming liberal if politics comes up. ---
**Author:** ![Anna\_Nimity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Anna\_Nimity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anna_Nimity)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/8 "2008-11-15T20:41:42Z")
I always tell and sometimes ask, I asked my brother before our recent election (I’m in the US)and he got a little peeved with me…“Obama, of course! Are you insinuating I’d vote for McCain?” I said well, I wasn’t sure…we aren’t in contact that often. I’m interested in this thread though, because I’ve always wondered why people would not tell. ---
**Author:** ![lynxie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e99b99/32.png) [@lynxie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynxie)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/9 "2008-11-16T02:05:50Z")
I never ask, simply because I don’t really care who they voted for. If I’m asked, I have no problem answering. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/10 "2008-11-16T02:16:01Z")
I wouldn’t answer, myself, unless in friendly company. But I don’t begrudge anyone asking. I don’t understand why I’ve seen so many Americans who, when asked who they voted for, go pale and stammer “Secret ballot! Secret ballot! You’re not supposed to ask that! I can’t tell you!” Dumbass. Of course it’s allowed to ask and answer; you just can’t be legally compelled to answer. Just like I can ask you how often you fuck your wife and you can answer, if you wish. Maybe a little gauche, but certainly not illegal. Just politely say “I voted for the guy I wanted to win”, and move on. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/11 "2008-11-16T02:54:44Z")
I never discuss politics in real life except with my closest relatives (that’s four people – my wife, my parents, and my sister), and they all knew who I was going to vote for anyway. Ed ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/12 "2008-11-16T05:05:38Z")
No. I most definately do my best to see the good and bad in all parties and candidates and covet being able to discuss issues without the fear of perceived bias. People here probably think I vote one way and others IRL probably think I go the other direction, the reason being I want everything to get a fair shake, regardless. One person knows how I voted, my wife. I lit into a friend the other day even though it was obvious we’d voted for the same candidate because he expressed an opinion demonstrating the fact he was embracing and repeating disproved rumor. I hate that and strongly disagree that the ends justify the means. By the way, when’s all the tiresome rancor on these boards (not this thread but the ubiquitous others) going to cease? All the hate certainly doesn’t swing me to their position but merely reinforcess the notion they were blind from the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/13 "2008-11-16T07:33:51Z")
> [@calm\_kiwi](#): > > Australians are fairly well known for being…open or not afraid to hold or give an opinion. Are we? I’ve not noticed any particular difference between us and the Kiwis in that regard. I’d say we’re more vocally opinionated than the British, but probably less than the Americans. I’ll talk about who I voted for with family, close friends, etc. Also on these boards - if I choose to take part in the relevant threads. But the rest of the time, I don’t go about vocalising it. My workmates wouldn’t know if I’m a rabid socialist or a stuffy conservative or anything in between. When I was much younger, I’d pointedly only take one party’s “How to vote” leaflet outside the polling place. Now, that strikes me as rude and arrogant (and pointless), so I take all of them and smile and thank the Liberal (conservative) worker, the Labor one, the Greens guy, the well maybe not the racist or religious nutjob type ones, but I haven’t seen one of those for years. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/14 "2008-11-16T07:38:13Z")
I’d admit it if asked, and voluntarily defend him, but don’t voluntarily mention I voted for Obama. Just today I pulled up in the Target parking lot with a “All Democrats are Communists” sticker stuck to the lamppost. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/15 "2008-11-16T08:03:00Z")
My boss asked me and I told her without hesitation. Given we work in a fairly ‘left’ field it was a safe assumption that she’d have voted the same way - she had. My local best mate and I have skirted around politics enough to know that we would \*not \*vote the same way - we operate on the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ rule. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/16 "2008-11-17T15:23:55Z")
Didn’t tell my husband, but probably would if he asked, but he has never asked. Would not tell anybody else. I did tell him how I voted on state issues. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/17 "2008-11-17T16:13:07Z")
I just don’t understand why it’s a big deal how someone votes. Once again, I think Dave Chappelle said it perfect: > [@](#): > > White people do not like to talk about their polictial affiliations. Its a secret. You ask a white guy who’s he votin for, like ‘Hey Bob, who you gonna vote for?’ ‘Dave! Dave, woah, woah woah. Take it easy. So I was fuckin my wife in her ass, right? And let me tell you, it was something else.’ ‘Yeah yeah, but who are you gonna vote for?’ ‘DAVE! Dave, come on with the voting! I’m trying to tell you about fucking my wife in the ass, and you’re asking me all these personal questions.’ ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/18 "2008-11-17T16:20:30Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > I don’t tell, and people here don’t ask. I don’t know who my husband voted for in our recent federal election. Forgive me for the slight hijack, but this surprises me knowing how close you and your husband are. Do you guys avoid political discussions because you think differently on such issues, or for some other reason? ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/19 "2008-11-17T16:38:15Z")
Sure, if they’re interested. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851/20 "2008-11-17T17:08:53Z")
One thing I didn’t mention in my post above is that I learned about ten years ago that my boss and I have very different political points of view. So it was better all around if we didn’t discuss politics in the office. Ed [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-tell-people-who-you-vote-for/472851.md?page=2)