- Do you usually vote in any elections? No
- Do you vote in most every election? No
- Do you think your vote matters? No
- If your friend the election judge told you it was thrown out because your signature looked wrong would you feel begrudged or philosophical? Neither, but if I have to pick one, it would be more philosophical, probably.
- Do you think it’s important to convince one person to vote who might not have? I don’t know. I wouldn’t, though.
- What if they told you they voted opposite out of spite so you’ll get off their back next time, is it still important? I wouldn’t care.
- How long do you celebrate or sulk? In either case is there cake? I don’t do either.
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
- I’d be very pissed
- Yes
- Yes
- Usually not long in either case, although in the case of the 2000 pressidential election, I sulked for eight years! No cake.
- Do you usually vote in any elections? Yes
- Do you vote in most every election? Yes, since I signed up for always voting by mail
- Do you think your vote matters? No, can’t say it ever has. Never voted in a one-apart final tally election
- If your friend the …? Philisophical - it’s all aggregate odds.
- Do you think it’s important to convince …? I do attend rallies, wearing my vote on my hat, so I guess I think I ought to sway others
- What if they told you they voted opposite …? Those whippersnappers!
- How long do you celebrate or sulk?.. cake? - Yes, cake. But I hit the hay early, so if the decision arrives overnight I neither celebrate or sulk.
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Do you usually vote in any elections?
Yes -
Do you vote in most every election?
Yes -
Do you think your vote matters?
Usually gets buried, but I’d feel bad if I didn’t vote -
If your friend the election judge told you it was thrown out because your signature looked wrong would you feel begrudged or philosophical?
I’d be pissed off -
Do you think it’s important to convince one person to vote who might not have?
Somewhat, but I’d only try if I knew she was on the line already -
What if they told you they voted opposite out of spite so you’ll get off their back next time, is it still important?
I’d never talk to her about voting again -
How long do you celebrate or sulk? In either case is there cake?
I’m not that emotionally invested, so none of the above; I’m usually right anyway, so I’m usually prepared for the result
Isn’t this poll itself subject to self-selection bias? WOuldn’t people who never bother to vote for real be somewhat less likely to bother to vote in a poll about whether they bother to vote?
How do you factor in the potential for apathy about discussing apathy?
Well, that’s usually true, but it’s not what’s happening in America right now. The party that won the presidency and Congressional majorities in both houses is taking great care to not enact legislation it wants, but to consult the minority side and allow any objection to derail every plan. So instead of doing whatever they’ve farted, they’re spending their time achieving no legislation while still managing to look weak.
Divide by two.
But seriously, it’s a problem. As John Maynard Keynes observed when people told him the stock market values were based on true values - He said, no, it’s more like those contests run in some newspapers. They show 100 people’s faces and the prize goes to the entrant picks the prettiest face, judged by how many votes the faces get. The challenge then is not to pick the faces you think are prettiest, nor even the ones you think are prettiest to all the entrants, nor the one they think the others will find prettiest, but the one they think the others will most likely vote for anyway.
- Do you usually vote in any elections?
Yes
- Do you vote in most every election?
**I was less consistent in days past, but nowadays yes, I vote in every election. However there is a small external reason prodding me. I’m on the permanent absentee voter roll and if I fail to vote, I’d have to go through the trouble of reapplying. **
- Do you think your vote matters?
Eh. It doesn’t hurt.
- If your friend the election judge told you it was thrown out because your signature looked wrong would you feel begrudged or philosophical?
Philosophical. Shit happens.
- Do you think it’s important to convince one person to vote who might not have?
Nope. I’m not my brother’s keeper in that sense.
- What if they told you they voted opposite out of spite so you’ll get off their back next time, is it still important?
N/A
- How long do you celebrate or sulk? In either case is there cake?
**I generally don’t do either. While I am fascinated by politics and closely follow big elections ( not uncommonly taking a day off work to watch presidential returns real time ), I am only weakly invested emotionally.
If the person I voted for wins, I might be pleased, but never excited - I’m rarely that thrilled with any candidate. Even if I were I figure that the system wields more influence than the individual and only so much can be accomplished. When Obama won, who I had voted for, I did, briefly, have an emotional reaction - but not to Obama winning. Rather it was to the outpouring of emotion by others who were so genuinely moved by such a historic event.
Likewise, if my preferred candidate loses, I’m disappointed, but not depressed. For the same reasons as above. The potential for a really damaging impact on my own life is minimal.
These things go in stages, but from my perspective American society is very slowly limping in the direction I favor, at least on social issues ( which I prioritize ). So I’m mostly content, despite the numerous disappointing setbacks that are inevitable in politics.**
1) Do you usually vote in any elections?
Yes.
2) Do you vote in most every election?
I attempt to.
3) Do you think your vote matters?
Not individually but it matters as part of the collection.
4) If your friend the election judge told you it was thrown out because your signature looked wrong would you feel begrudged or philosophical?
I’d be upset because I’ve worked as an election judge and know that I should have been informed of the problem immediately and given the opportunity to cast a provisional ballot.
5) Do you think it’s important to convince one person to vote who might not have?
Sure. The more people, the better.
6) What if they told you they voted opposite out of spite so you’ll get off their back next time, is it still important?
Sure. I can only try to convince someone to vote, if they’re dumb enough to vote against their own self interest out of pique well… you can lead a horse to water and all that.
7) How long do you celebrate or sulk? In either case is there cake?
Some sulking cake would be good right about now.
1-2: I vote - or try to vote (in one I didn’t get to the polling station in time) - in every election that I can.
3: Of course it matters. Every vote counts, even if it’s for the loser.
4: Ballots are secret. Signatures invalidate the vote.
5: Absolutely.
6: It’s their privilege; it’s also their resposibility.
7: I celebrate the democratic process.
I vote, but I cover my eyes when I do so.
- Do you usually vote in any elections?
Yes - Do you vote in most every election?
Yes - Do you think your vote matters?
Yes - If your friend the election judge told you it was thrown out because your signature looked wrong would you feel begrudged or philosophical?
Begrudged first, then philosophical - Do you think it’s important to convince one person to vote who might not have?
Yes, but I think it’s more important that they educate themselves about candidates and the party platforms before they do so. It drives me crazy to hear “I vote X because that’s how my parents, etc vote”. - What if they told you they voted opposite out of spite so you’ll get off their back next time, is it still important?
There isn’t really an opposite in a mulit party system. Also, it would be hard for them to do that as I don’t generally share how I am going to vote. Happy to discuss it after, not before. Addressing the premise of the question - I would encourage them to cast a blank or spoiled ballet next time as to make their statement towards the instutition rather than me.
- How long do you celebrate or sulk? In either case is there cake?
I don’t. I watch the returns, go to bed early and see who won in the morning. Federally and provincially, it just seems to swing back and forth between parties over time. I cast my ballot knowing that the party I vote for will not win, but at least they get the money my vote throws them for next time. In my city the same man has been mayor for over twenty years and that’s not about to change.
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Do you usually vote in any elections? Yes
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Do you vote in most every election? Yes
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Do you think your vote matters? Yes
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If your friend the election judge told you it was thrown out because your signature looked wrong would you feel begrudged or philosophical? Oh, very begrudged. I’d raise a stink.
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Do you think it’s important to convince one person to vote who might not have? Yes
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What if they told you they voted opposite out of spite so you’ll get off their back next time, is it still important? Yes
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How long do you celebrate or sulk? In either case is there cake?
I’m excited or depressed or both for a week or so, then my mood goes back to normal. Either way, there are usually alcoholic beverages involved.
Many U.S. states require signatures for absentee voting, vote-by-mail, or provisional voting. (Provisional is for when the validity of the voter’s registration is in question.) The ballot itself does not contain personally identifying information, but it is possible for it not to be counted if the election judges decide that the voter information associated with it is invalid.
- Do you usually vote in any elections?
Yes
- Do you vote in most every election?
Yes
- Do you think your vote matters?
Yes
- If your friend the election judge told you it was thrown out because your signature looked wrong would you feel begrudged or philosophical?
Annoyed. I rarely sign my signature the same way I did when I registered to vote.
- Do you think it’s important to convince one person to vote who might not have?
Yes.
- What if they told you they voted opposite out of spite so you’ll get off their back next time, is it still important?
As long as the voted how they felt, I’d be glad they voted.
- How long do you celebrate or sulk? In either case is there cake?
n/a
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Sure
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I vote in presidential elections, mid-term elections, and local elections if there’s a ballot inititive I feel I have a stake in. I’ve missed mid-term primaries, and don’t vote in local elections if I’m indifferent to what is being decided.
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It depends on how many people total are voting, and how close the elections are.
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I would have to assume that s/he was being a smart ass because I only vote in person (and I’ve been registered since age 18, so I don’t need to muck about with provisional ballots) and we don’t sign our ballots at the polling place so it’d be impossible to determine that mine specifically was spoiled.
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Not any more. I used to buy into “rock the vote” but it then occured to me that uninformed votes reduce the power of informed votes if not cancel some out all together. Now I think, “Don’t vote if you don’t want to.”
6.) see above
- celebrate: a few weeks or until the first time s/he makes him/herself look bad. sulk: up to four years.
- Primarily in presidential election years since I haven’t paid much attention to the politics of where I actually reside since high school.
- I am 50/50 with voting overall in the seven years that I have been eligible to vote and 100% with Presidential election years.
- Absolutely
- Mildly annoyed but ultimately I would be ok. It would be nice to see something work the way that it should.
- No. Its their vote and they can do as they please.
- No big as long as they did something.
- I sulk until the cake is gone.
- Do you usually vote in any elections?
National ones only. - Do you vote in most every election?
All national ones. - Do you think your vote matters?
I think this is the wrong way to look at things. Electing officials is something the electorate does, not something I do. It is important that *we *vote. - If your friend the election judge told you it was thrown out because your signature looked wrong would you feel begrudged or philosophical?
Annoyed. - Do you think it’s important to convince one person to vote who might not have?
Yes. - What if they told you they voted opposite out of spite so you’ll get off their back next time, is it still important?
I’d think the person was a dick. - How long do you celebrate or sulk? In either case is there cake?
A couple of days, in either case. I try for their always to be cake, under all circumstances.