# I will vote today **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 5, 2024, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482 "2024-03-05T12:31:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/1 "2024-03-05T12:31:16Z")
I will vote, both in the Primaries, and in November. It may be that many senior Republicans wan this to be the last,/u\> US Election. So I will vote, win or lose. Because I woke up this morning , literally, with these words in my head– > Land where my fathers died! > Land of the Pilgrim’s pride! > From every mountain side, > Let freedom ring! Please join me. As an act of faith in the ideals of Democracy. > Blockquote ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/2 "2024-03-05T16:51:03Z")
Voted by mail 4 weeks ago. But yes, everyone please vote if you haven’t already. I’m hearing that, because there is no real contest for president in either party, turnout is likely to be low for today’s Super Tuesday primaries. Democracy – use it or lose it. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/3 "2024-03-05T16:54:26Z")
I voted yesterday at work. I could have voted days before but it was more convenient to do so yesterday. I filled out my ballot (which took a couple of minutes; just fill in a couple of bubbles, sign, and give my contact info) and dropped it off in the mail on the way home. The official primary is a week from today. [Progressive group urging ‘uncommitted’ vote in Washington state Democratic primary](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4506193-progressive-group-urging-uncommitted-vote-in-washington-state-democratic-primary/) Nope, I supported our president thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/4 "2024-03-05T18:34:51Z")
Today’s my chance to support the president versus the “uncommitted” campaign, which gave me a good impetus to go out and vote. Thanks, guys. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/5 "2024-03-05T18:40:53Z")
Its two months before my primary. It will never mean anything. Unless I move I will always rely on people from other states to pick the president for me. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/6 "2024-03-05T19:21:46Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Democracy – use it or lose it. True. No vote today where I am. New York’s early April vote (or early voting late May) is on my calendar. Yes, I know it’s nearly always settled by then; yes, I know that barring something entirely unexpected it was settled for 2024 by sometime in 2023. Don’t care. Voting anyway. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/7 "2024-03-05T19:27:05Z")
I voted today; there were even three people waiting in line before me, it was so crowded! Minnesota allows you to pick any ballot, and I was going to try to sneak in a vote for Nikki. Thankfully they had a notice that your selection is private, but will be communicated to the state party leadership. Blech to that. Joe got another not-uncommitted vote from me instead. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/8 "2024-03-05T19:32:33Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > they had a notice that your selection is private, but will be communicated to the state party leadership. Huh? How on earth is it private if they’re going to tell the state party leadership about it? What’s preventing the state party leadership from telling everybody else; or from including somebody you specifically didn’t want to know? (And I presume they only mean your selection of which party’s ballot, and not your actual vote.) ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/9 "2024-03-05T19:37:12Z")
Exactly. I was hoping they would give you both ballots and let you secretly discard one, or have everyone on one ballot but allow only one choice. Instead they marked down which ballot you chose at the check-in time. (And of course the actual marked ballot was secret.) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/10 "2024-03-05T19:39:13Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > > [@JohnGalt](#): > > > > they had a notice that your selection is private, but will be communicated to the state party leadership. > > Huh? > > How on earth is it private if they’re going to tell the state party leadership about it? What’s preventing the state party leadership from telling everybody else; or from including somebody you specifically didn’t want to know? > > (And I presume they only mean your selection of which party’s ballot, and not your actual vote.) Yes they share which party. The vote is secret. In my state you have to declare a party well in advance of the primary. If you want to make a spoiler vote you have to plan in advance. Most don’t have the commitment. You have to declare a party sometime in April to vote in June. Of course the party knows who is registered to them. About 1/3 of voters are registered as independents in my state as would I except then you aren’t allowed to vote in a primary at all. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/11 "2024-03-05T20:32:14Z")
It would be illegal for me to vote today, so I’ll be trotting off to the polls on June 4 to make my empty gesture. But I’ll also be voting down the ballot, and that sometimes makes a difference (I don’t think it does this time around; I’ll be voting for popular incumbents). ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/12 "2024-03-05T20:51:18Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > In my state you have to declare a party well in advance of the primary. In mine, also. And that info is public, so Minnesota’s not really doing that differently – except for the claim that what they’re making public info is also somehow private. > [@Loach](#): > > About 1/3 of voters are registered as independents in my state as would I except then you aren’t allowed to vote in a primary at all. Also the same: both in mine and in that’s what I’d otherwise choose. But by not realizing when I first registered that registering as independent meant I couldn’t vote in anybody’s primary, I forever lost the option to get a bumper sticker made that says “Don’t Blame Me, I Voted for Shirley Chisholm”. I’ve been registered as Democratic ever since; on the grounds that I thought and think I’m at least somewhat more likely to want to have a say in who they nominate. > [@InternetLegend](#): > > It would be illegal for me to vote today, so I’ll be trotting off to the polls on June 4 to make my empty gesture. But I’ll also be voting down the ballot, NY’s presidential primary is separate from other elections; there is no down ballot in that one. But yes, voting down ballot is crucially important. Clear down to your county/town/village offices and school board. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/13 "2024-03-05T21:06:15Z")
Washington is an open primary state. It’s one ballot and you have to pick to vote either for a Democrat or Republican candidate. I debated voting for Haley to weaken Trump but I’d rather bolster Biden. Plus it felt better voting for him. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/14 "2024-03-05T22:53:47Z")
Maryland’s primary isn’t until May 14, so it’ll be awhile before they send out the mail ballots. (I’m signed up to receive mail ballots for all state elections.) But I’m mentally cheering on all you Super Tuesday voters from the sidelines. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2024, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/15 "2024-03-06T11:35:02Z")
I wasn’t going to declare a party, here are my MN precinct results: (total votes, not %) Trump 49 Haley 20 Chris Christie 1 Biden 61 Eban Cambridge 1 Marianne Williamson 1 Dean Phillips 2 Uncommitted 7 I live in a heavy R county, but my precinct leans slightly D. Turnout is usually much higher 🙂 Brian ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2024, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/16 "2024-03-06T12:36:42Z")
I got a little surprise yesterday: After voting, I went grocery shopping in the next town over. On the corner I saw a Vote for Marianne Williamson sign planted in the grass. I guess somebody had been saving up those signs and was going to use them willy-nilly regardless of whether she’s still running. ---
**Author:** ![Eric1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/17 "2024-03-07T03:07:56Z")
Yes Johanna, Williamson’s moving in and out maybe adds some drama or comedy to the race. Or maybe someone will write a musical about her. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-vote-today/998482/18 "2024-03-07T03:12:28Z")
_How do you solve a problem like Marianne?_ _How do you put a moonbeam in the White House?_