# Poll: Americans: Did/will you vote? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 6, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123 "2012-11-06T18:48:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/1 "2012-11-06T18:48:49Z")
Have you voted in the US election yet? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/2 "2012-11-06T18:51:33Z")
I voted at around 10:15 AM. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/3 "2012-11-06T18:53:36Z")
Yeah, but my absentee ballot is just being picked up today, so everything will be decided already by the time it’s counted. Not that that really matters, but I meant to send it in earlier so I could have a tiny illusion of my vote counting. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/4 "2012-11-06T19:15:07Z")
Yep. Great turnout at our precinct, one of the highest I’ve ever seen. Apparently the Silent Conservative Majority isn’t gonna be silent this time around. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/5 "2012-11-06T19:34:09Z")
I wonder if those who are inclined to vote in elections are also inclined to vote in polls because that’s the only way these results make sense. ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/6 "2012-11-06T20:58:58Z")
Okay, I just voted, so you can change one of the ‘not practicals’ to a yes. Apparently my whole street got screwed up so I ended up voting on a provisional ballot. Probably won’t mean anything, but I feel satisfied. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/7 "2012-11-06T21:14:37Z")
I’m going after work. I had to turn down a dinner date because of it. (With someone who doesn’t believe in voting.) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/8 "2012-11-06T21:17:34Z")
I voted this morning, even though if it would change anything, they wouldn’t let us do it. And it just encourages the bastards. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/9 "2012-11-06T21:20:13Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Yep. Great turnout at our precinct, one of the highest I’ve ever seen. Apparently the Silent Conservative Majority isn’t gonna be silent this time around. I was under the impression that conservatives normally have the highest participation rate in the US. Perhaps I am wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/10 "2012-11-06T21:20:35Z")
I’ve never missed an election, and have been voting since 1974. I also keep all my “I Have Voted” stickers in a scrapbook. (Obsessive much?) ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_Penmanship](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Bad\_Penmanship](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_Penmanship)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/11 "2012-11-06T21:21:21Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I voted this morning, even though if it would change anything, they wouldn’t let us do it. > And it just encourages the bastards. Even if it doesn’t change anything, you still vote? Why bother? Why “encourage the bastards?” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/12 "2012-11-06T21:24:31Z")
> [@Bad\_Penmanship](#): > > Even if it doesn’t change anything, you still vote? Why bother? Why “encourage the bastards?” So folks on the SDMB don’t shame me. 🙂 ---
**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, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/13 "2012-11-06T21:26:31Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Yep. Great turnout at our precinct, one of the highest I’ve ever seen. Apparently the Silent Conservative Majority isn’t gonna be silent this time around. Newsflash: Romney wins Texas. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/14 "2012-11-06T21:47:02Z")
I received an early ballot in the mail and sent it back about three weeks ago, so yes, I have voted. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/15 "2012-11-06T21:47:40Z")
I am a citizen, but I haven’t registered to vote in the past ~25 years because I’m also a permanent ex-pat living in Israel. I don’t trust myself to vote only in the best interests _ **of the USA** _ so I’ve decided not to register in order to avoid the temptation to vote what is (IMO) better _for Israel._ I registered once, the first time I was eligible to vote, since at the time I had lived in the US for the previous two years, and anyway I wanted to participate in the American democratic process **once** (I had already decided then not to vote in the future, for the reason stated) So, technically, “no, because I am not eligible for some other reason” (i.e., I didn’t register) ETA: I suppose I could have chosen “no, because I don’t want to,” but in a sense that’s exactly the _opposite_ of the reason why I don’t register (and therefore can’t vote) ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/16 "2012-11-06T21:53:41Z")
I voted this morning and am surprised your poll is already closed. ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/17 "2012-11-06T21:58:31Z")
I voted by mail in mid-October. I’m worried about my ballot getting lost in the void though (or that I did something to make it invalid even though I checked it over multiple times). I wish there was some sort of confirmation of receipt. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/18 "2012-11-06T22:44:02Z")
I start work at 7 AM, so I couldn’t vote this morning. I’ll stop by the polling place on my way home. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/19 "2012-11-06T22:46:43Z")
> [@Noone\_Special](#): > > I am a citizen, but I haven’t registered to vote in the past ~25 years because I’m also a permanent ex-pat living in Israel. I don’t trust myself to vote only in the best interests _ **of the USA** _ so I’ve decided not to register in order to avoid the temptation to vote what is (IMO) better _for Israel._ > > I registered once, the first time I was eligible to vote, since at the time I had lived in the US for the previous two years, and anyway I wanted to participate in the American democratic process **once** (I had already decided then not to vote in the future, for the reason stated) > > So, technically, “no, because I am not eligible for some other reason” (i.e., I didn’t register) > > ETA: I suppose I could have chosen “no, because I don’t want to,” but in a sense that’s exactly the _opposite_ of the reason why I don’t register (and therefore can’t vote) That is the best “reason why I am not voting” that I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123/20 "2012-11-06T22:48:11Z")
First in my precinct to do so! And of course I temporarily disabled the ballot machine after I inserted it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-americans-did-will-you-vote/640123.md?page=2)