# How many people do you elect? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 23, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744 "2010-09-23T04:34:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/21 "2010-09-23T18:28:31Z")
I vote for President Two United States Senators United States Representative NY Governor NY Lt Governor NY Comptroller NY Attorney General NY Supreme Court Justice State Senator Member of the State Assembly County Court Judge County Clerk County Legislator County Commisioner of Jurors Town Supervisor Town Clerk Town Justice Town Councilman Police Justice Receiver of Taxes Highway Superintendant Village Mayor Village Trustee ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/22 "2010-11-03T01:50:23Z")
Looking at today’s ballot reminded me of this thread so I counted. This was a fairly short ballot this time, with no senator and no president, and several other things off cycle. Only thirty positions and 6 proposals. I am confident my choices for the Community college regents board will finally turn this country around. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/23 "2010-11-03T02:46:15Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > Zero. > > I’m not allowed to vote in the US because I’m not a citizen, and I’m not allowed to vote in Canada because I’m not a resident. > > My opinions don’t matter to anyone! Quiet, you. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/24 "2010-11-03T12:42:00Z")
When I was in the US, I voted for about as many as any other American, including judges, sheriff, etc. Now in Canada, I can vote for MP (federal), MNA (provincial), the mayor and all six council members for my town and one member of the school board. As a matter of fact, after our mayor died one of the councilors ran unopposed to replace her and now we are voting on Sunday to replace him. But the candidates have been so quiet that they have given me no incentive to vote. The most bizarre election I ever voted in involved voting for 118 members of the Illinois lower house. The lower house of the legislature had 177 (= 3_59) seats and the districting had been ruled illegal. The legislature had been unable to agree on a redistricting and finally agreed to an election in which all seats were at-large, but each party would be allowed to nominate only 118 (= 2_59) candidates. So at the poll we were each presented with a ballot that had two columns of names, each with 118 names on it. Say all the names on the left column were Dems and all on the right were Reps. There was a big square at the head of each column and x-ing that meant a straight party vote. There was also a square next to each candidate and you could, if you wished, simply choose 118 candidates to vote for. Now here was the bizarre part. You could x in the party line square, say for the Dems and then x in a few Reps. In that case, your vote would be given to the Reps you voted for and the guy across from him would lose your vote, even though they were in no sense direct opponents. The outcome was more or less predictable. 118 Dems won and the 59 Reps with the most relatives or friends (or the most relatives and friends who were otherwise voting Dem) won seats. Needless to say, the first act of the new legislature was to redistrict itself. This happened in the mid 60s. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/25 "2010-11-03T13:41:38Z")
Borough Councillor London Assembly (arguably two people elected, because it uses a hybrid (constituency/list system) Mayor of London Member of UK Parliament Member of European Parliament I’ll take **Wallenstein** ’s word for it that I’m technically also eligible to vote in parish council elections. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/26 "2010-11-03T13:58:12Z")
Thanks to the joys of proportional representation, I don’t get to elect anyone directly - at best I vote for a party in the local government elections who may or may not appoint the person they promised to my ward if they win the most votes therein. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/27 "2010-11-03T15:49:38Z")
I am represented by: - A Member of Parliament - A Member of Provincial Parliament - A Mayor - A City Councillor - A School Board Trustee Five. That’s it. Frankly, it seems like enough. I don’t see why positions like attorneys, judges, clerks and comptrollers should be elected. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/28 "2010-11-03T17:56:09Z")
New York State, Town of Rotterdam: Federal 1. President/Vice President (run in tandem) 2. Senator 3. Senator (this year, there were two senate races in NY, BTW). 4. Representative State 1. Governor/Lieutenant Governor (run in tandem) 2. Attorney General 3. Comptroller 4. State Senator 5. Member of State Assembly (Lower House) 6. Supreme Court Judge (this is not the highest court in the state; it’s the highest trial court; the Court of Appeals is above it). 7. Supreme Court Judge 8. Supreme Court Judge County 1. County Legislature Representative 2. County Legislature Representative 3. County Legislature Representative 4. County Legislature Representative 5. Surrogate Court Judge 6. Family Court Judge 7. Family Court Judge 8. County Court Judge Town of Rotterdam 1. Town Supervisor 2. Town Council Member 3. Town Council Member 4. Town Council Member 5. Town Council Member 6. Chief of Police 7. Highway Department Chief 8. Town Court Judge 9. Town Court Judge 10. Receiver of Taxes 11. Town Clerk One reason New York has so many elected officials was Tammany Hall. Tammany would appoint judges who paid them for the appointment and who could make up the money by dipping into the money paid in fines. And a post like Receiver of Taxes was clearly a nice gem for a corrupt government. Good government groups pushed for elections to help fight Tammany’s influence (yes, they could get out the vote, but good government groups had a fighting chance). ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/29 "2010-11-03T18:28:56Z")
Scotland: Local councillor Member of Scottish Parliament Member of UK Parliament Member of European Parliament Woo, looks like I’m the lowest so far. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/30 "2010-11-03T22:03:26Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > …I’ll take **Wallenstein** ’s word for it that I’m technically also eligible to vote in parish council elections. What exactly does a parish council in England do? 😕 My only exposure to them was the one on **Vicar of Dibley** , and they seemed to mostly hand church stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/31 "2010-11-03T22:23:16Z")
All the elections I vote in (Germany) are on the list principle (pure list or mixed member proportional), so my vote marginally impacts all seats 99 German members of the European Parliament 598+ members of the Bundestag (plus overhang seats - 24 at present) 139 seats in the Landtag (state parliament) 59 seats in the Kreistag (district council) 40 seats in the city council 1 mayor (also a number of association and church officials, e.g. 100 synod members and 9 parish council members) ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/32 "2010-11-04T15:03:21Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > Borough Councillor > London Assembly (arguably two people elected, because it uses a hybrid (constituency/list system) > Mayor of London > Member of UK Parliament > Member of European Parliament > > I’ll take **Wallenstein** ’s word for it that I’m technically also eligible to vote in parish council elections. I have that and also now a Mayor for the borough. That’s a new position and it seemed like too many to me. Voting for 50+ people is crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/33 "2010-11-05T05:15:10Z")
Living in Saskatchewan: 1 MP 1 MLA 1 Mayor 1 Councillor 1 School Board Representative So, five. ---
**Author:** ![williambaskerville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f14d63/32.png) [@williambaskerville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williambaskerville)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/34 "2010-11-05T06:39:47Z")
In Ireland :- 1 President 5 TDs (MPs in English) out of a 166 member Dáil (parliament) 3 MEPs out of a total of 12 for Ireland 4 county councillors, out of a total of 24 9 town commissioners. ---
**Author:** ![JoseArcadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc348/32.png) [@JoseArcadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseArcadio)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/35 "2010-11-05T10:00:45Z")
Scotland, same as Baron Greenback: Local Councillor Member of Scottish Parliament Member of UK Parliament Member of European Parliament ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/36 "2010-11-05T10:42:37Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > What exactly does a parish council in England do? 😕 My only exposure to them was the one on **Vicar of Dibley** , and they seemed to mostly hand church stuff. I have no idea. Your exposure to them is about the same as mine. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/37 "2010-11-05T20:42:54Z")
Mayor of London Member(s) of the London Assembly (no idea how many I can vote for) Hackney Borough Councillor(s) (again, I think I pick a few, but no idea how many) Member of the European Parliament Member of the UK Parliament. Is that it? Does Hackney have a mayor? I don’t even remember. Also, as a member of the Labour Party, I get to vote for the Leader and what seems like dozens of different committees and representatives, but then I do pay for that privilege. But it at least gives me an idea of voting overload you get in the US – I do try and read the biogs/policies of all the people putting themselves forward but it does get a bit ‘pin the tail on the donkey’. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744/38 "2010-11-05T21:07:07Z")
So what do you non-Americans think when you see these monster American lists? Do you think we’re all out of our frigging gourd? (If so, you’re right.) Do you picture us gathering in taverns, quaffing cheap American beer while we argue the merits of sanitary district trustees and county comptrollers? Are you jealous that you don’t get to select your own recorders of deeds? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-do-you-elect/554744.md?page=1)