# Oi, America! Get off your arses and go vote! **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 6, 2018, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067 "2018-11-06T13:17:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/41 "2018-11-06T18:23:51Z")
I’m in Oregon, where everyone gets to vote by mail (or drop off their ballot at specified drop sites, which is what I did yesterday). Voted straight Democrat for the first time in my life. I’m a teacher at a CC, so all my students are adults. Not 10 minutes ago I polled my classroom on who voted as a not-so-subtle reminder that Today Is The Day. The response? Not. A. Single. One. Of. Them. Voted!!! :smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::mad::mad:☹ One of my students, after I asked if everyone had voted, started going on a rant about taxes, I have no idea what her political bent is, but she made it clear that she’s intensely against every manner of taxation. Well, there’s a tax measure on the ballot this year. Instead of voting against it, she worked herself into a tizzy and decided not to vote. What. The. Fuck??? And before someone mentions the Damn Kids These Days, she was the oldest in the room. Gaa! ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/42 "2018-11-06T18:25:17Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > How is this not a foreign power attempting to influence our elections???🙂 I may be foreign but I have no power. ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/43 "2018-11-06T18:28:17Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > I’m in Oregon, where everyone gets to vote by mail (or drop off their ballot at specified drop sites, which is what I did yesterday). Voted straight Democrat for the first time in my life. > > I’m a teacher at a CC, so all my students are adults. Not 10 minutes ago I polled my classroom on who voted as a not-so-subtle reminder that Today Is The Day. The response? Not. A. Single. One. Of. Them. Voted!!! > :smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::mad::mad:☹ > > One of my students, after I asked if everyone had voted, started going on a rant about taxes, I have no idea what her political bent is, but she made it clear that she’s intensely against every manner of taxation. Well, there’s a tax measure on the ballot this year. Instead of voting against it, she worked herself into a tizzy and decided not to vote. Thank you for this, it gives me hope for the future! ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/44 "2018-11-06T18:28:56Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > I’m in Oregon, where everyone gets to vote by mail (or drop off their ballot at specified drop sites, which is what I did yesterday). Voted straight Democrat for the first time in my life. > > I’m a teacher at a CC, so all my students are adults. Not 10 minutes ago I polled my classroom on who voted as a not-so-subtle reminder that Today Is The Day. The response? Not. A. Single. One. Of. Them. Voted!!! > :smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::mad::mad:☹ > > One of my students, after I asked if everyone had voted, started going on a rant about taxes, I have no idea what her political bent is, but she made it clear that she’s intensely against every manner of taxation. Well, there’s a tax measure on the ballot this year. Instead of voting against it, she worked herself into a tizzy and decided not to vote. > > What. The. Fuck??? > > And before someone mentions the Damn Kids These Days, she was the oldest in the room. Gaa! Well, that’s depressing. ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/45 "2018-11-06T18:30:48Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > I got off my arse and voted more than a week ago (early voting, Texas). > > Maybe you think your point is self-evident, but could you help out those who are not such intellectual giants and maybe explain what you think the above is supposed to accomplish? Saves much needed time and energy. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/46 "2018-11-06T18:41:15Z")
I live in the functional equivalent of Hooter-fucking-ville, and I had to stand in line for 40 minutes to vote. That’s never happened at this precinct as long as I’ve been voting there. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/47 "2018-11-06T18:47:35Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Oh, and furriners should shaddup on what Americans must do. No. What you must do is obvious, and if you hadn’t fucked up so incredibly in 2016, we wouldn’t have to remind you. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/48 "2018-11-06T18:58:25Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Yeah, I’ve wised up. I used to pride myself on voting for the best candidate regardless of party, and where I live that generally meant about 60% of ballot races were between extremely well qualified Republicans and moderately qualified Democrats. So I’ve voted Dem on national races, and end up voting Rep on a lot of local races. But I’ve now lived a good chunk of my adult life under minority rule, and I’ve finally caught on, like Republicans did in 2010, that these piddly local races have an exaggerated effect on national politics, because of things like gerrymandering and voter suppression. > > First time in my life voting straight Democrat. I’d love to go back to voting for the best person, but as long as Republicans are willing to play by the rules of a broken system to their own advantage, I need to as well. This, absolutely this. I also voted straight Democrat for the first time in my life, state and national levels. There was a line at 6:00 am at my polling place also, including a bunch of college-age voters. Exciting to see! But I’m worried, for the first time in my life, that a losing party (Republicans) will not accept the verdict and seek to overturn results they don’t like. If they make a serious, organized effort to do this, I am afraid this will be the beginning of the end of our democracy. And no, I can’t see the Dems doing this if they lose, even if there’s evidence of blatant cheating by the Pubs. ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/49 "2018-11-06T19:02:30Z")
> [@Toxgoddess](#): > > But I’m worried, for the first time in my life, that a losing party (Republicans) will not accept the verdict and seek to overturn results they don’t like. If they make a serious, organized effort to do this, I am afraid this will be the beginning of the end of our democracy. And no, I can’t see the Dems doing this if they lose, even if there’s evidence of blatant cheating by the Pubs. :rolleyes: I’m old enough to remember back in the 90s when Republicans were peddling conspiracies about the Clintons and other Democrats not accepting elections or the end of their terms, and seeking to overturn results, declare martial law, etc. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/50 "2018-11-06T19:03:22Z")
Voted this morning about 9:30am, polling place was steadily busy but not overcrowded, the parking lot was full but traffic seemed to be equally incoming and outgoing. In a solidly red state so I don’t expect it to do much good, but voted straight Democratic for the first time in my life. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/51 "2018-11-06T19:07:28Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > …voted straight Democratic for the first time in my life. You are not the first I have heard say that. Along with 35+ adults voting for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/52 "2018-11-06T19:09:21Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > How is this not a foreign power attempting to influence our elections???🙂 > > I’m 99% kidding. But there have been a huge number of Brit and Canadian celebrities the last two years trying to get people to vote a certain way. There’s a big difference between celebrities of any stripe publicly stating their opinions or exhorting people to action, and a hostile power covertly waging cyberwar by hacking into servers, assuming false identities, publishing fake and inflammatory stories, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/53 "2018-11-06T19:10:16Z")
> [@EscAlaMike](#): > > :rolleyes: I’m old enough to remember back in the 90s when Republicans were peddling conspiracies about the Clintons and other Democrats not accepting elections or the end of their terms, and seeking to overturn results, declare martial law, etc. Were the Democrat as cozy with neoNazis then as Republicans are now? I’ll cheerfully agree the likelihood of shenanigans are very very very remote, but in the 1990s they were very very very _very_ remote, relatively speaking. I get that \*you’re \*unconcerned - you’ve gone to some effort to demonstrate how unconcerned you are, after all - but for some people to have some concern is not all that far-fetched. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/54 "2018-11-06T20:08:06Z")
Resolving to respond to the election results with civility, come what may: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2018/11/02/dont-be-insufferable-nov-no-matter-outcome-here-are-questions-help-you/?noredirect=on&utm\_term=.c372f6c38146](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2018/11/02/dont-be-insufferable-nov-no-matter-outcome-here-are-questions-help-you/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.c372f6c38146) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/55 "2018-11-06T20:21:14Z")
Done and done!! ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/56 "2018-11-06T21:07:36Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Oh, and furriners should shaddup on what Americans must do. Scrape off your own warts, as John Tortorella would say. Fair squeeze, now if youse merkins could just refrain from bucketing us with the “USA, USA, USA” dogma everything would be just hoopy. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/57 "2018-11-06T21:15:18Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Fair squeeze, now if youse merkins could just refrain from bucketing us with the “USA, USA, USA” dogma everything would be just hoopy. This. When we stop slapping our dick all over the rest of the world, then maybe they will have no room for opinion on our elections. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/58 "2018-11-06T21:41:17Z")
> [@EscAlaMike](#): > > :rolleyes: I’m old enough to remember back in the 90s when Republicans were peddling conspiracies about the Clintons and other Democrats not accepting elections or the end of their terms, and seeking to overturn results, declare martial law, etc. I’m old enough to remember hearing this in 2016…and then leftists grasping at straws pleading with electors to not vote as they should. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/59 "2018-11-06T21:44:19Z")
I’ll be the contrarian here. If I’m 100% honest, I’m going to say that if someone needs to be cajoled into voting, I’d just as soon they didn’t vote. If they need Oprah or Ted Nugent to get them to vote, then I don’t care if they don’t vote. I’m all for making it easy to vote, andI don’t want to block them from voting, but I’m not going to try and shame someone into voting. If you don’t want to vote, don’t. You have my blessing. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067/60 "2018-11-06T21:48:32Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’ll be the contrarian here. If I’m 100% honest, I’m going to say that if someone needs to be cajoled into voting, I’d just as soon they didn’t vote. If they need Oprah or Ted Nugent to get them to vote, then I don’t care if they don’t vote. I’m all for making it easy to vote, andI don’t want to block them from voting, but I’m not going to try and shame someone into voting. If you don’t want to vote, don’t. You have my blessing. At least its not as bad as “third party shamers” Jesus. If you don’t vote, its a vote for Trump If you vote third party its a vote for Trump. Ok mom, this is why I block you on FB. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-america-get-off-your-arses-and-go-vote/824067.md?page=4)