Is it better for one to vote in complete ignorance of the issues and candidates, or is it better for such a person to not cast a ballot?
Why?
Why?
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To Vote or Not To Vote...That Is the Question...
- Thread starter SalixIncendium
- Start date
sealchan
Well-Known Member
I'd say it amounts to the same...the application of conscience or intelligence is equivocated in either case.
At least you guys have a choice. I have to vote or I'll be taxed. Granted perhaps no one would vote in this country if that weren't the case. But still.
Personally I always vote for the parties with the weird names (Pirate Party, Sex Party etc.) Just cause I can and neither of the big parties represent my interests as far as I'm concerned. They just want to line their pockets.Though the more liberal minded Labour Party is perhaps closer to my beliefs than the conservative Liberal National Party.
Personally I always vote for the parties with the weird names (Pirate Party, Sex Party etc.) Just cause I can and neither of the big parties represent my interests as far as I'm concerned. They just want to line their pockets.Though the more liberal minded Labour Party is perhaps closer to my beliefs than the conservative Liberal National Party.
My husband and I voted over dinner this week. We went over one side of the ballot, read all the candidates voting history on relevant issues to us and, ate, then read over the state measure pamphlet and researched over those we weren't sure about. The whole process took less than two hours. I think there's very little good excuse in my mind for not researching and voting accordingly. But if push comes to shove, I'd rather those who don't do any legwork not vote.
Is it better to vote based on claims made by political ads, or is it better to vote in complete ignorance of them?
Where does one go to understand the real issues? My state hires PR firms to word propositions to encourage a majority of voters to vote a certain way. Even the state misleads.
I don't know if it make a difference, a random vote from ignorance or a vote from misinformation.
And the candidates, believe their ads? I think not.
I'd guess the best would be to look at their voting record but then you could only vote for incumbents or folks who've already held office.
I think you left out a choice...make a little effort, gain some knowledge of the issues and candidates, and then vote.
But if you're not willing to do that, then I rather think you'd be better not marking an "X" at all.
Assume much?
But I digress. I intentionally did not list that as a choice because I know many that do not make that effort.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Oh I'll vote all right. Anything to stop the opposition from winning. Even if the candidate wasn't my first choice.
I think a lot of people vote that way. It's less about individual candidates as much as it is for maintaining party lines and sealing the majority.
It's a shame it had to go that route, but that's the way it is now today.
I think a lot of people vote that way. It's less about individual candidates as much as it is for maintaining party lines and sealing the majority.
It's a shame it had to go that route, but that's the way it is now today.
How odd! You think it's a shame that's the reason people mostly vote, and yet claim that you intend to do exactly that!
When I think something's a shame, I make at least some effort not to do it.
In complete ignorance? They should cast a blank ballot.
Meh, you have to attend the voting booth, but you can cast a blank ballot.
I'm not sure that's an option here. But then again I never tried to.
Heh...I am assuming it's a secret ballot, right?
So how can it not be an option?
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
It's just the reality of the voting process. It works the same way for both Republicans and Democrats with plenty of examples to go around.
You ever wonder why so many brain dead people get elected today? Hint: It's not about individuals anymore.
Voters don't really have a choice. It's why nobody got the candidates they wanted last election cycle and had to settle for Hillary and Trump in the end. So everybody votes party lines. I think it's been going that way for a fair amount of election cycles already.
It's all electronic touch screen. I'm pretty sure you have to select something. I don't recall if every office has a "none of the above" choice.
Oh, right...got ya.
Well, that's complete arse.
In that case, I'd prefer they didn't vote, assuming an answer of 'for God's sake, get some informed opinions' isn't an option.
I know the people I vote for are far from being perfect. Sometimes they are very imperfect. But it does not take much effort to find out something about their past and what they stand for based on their pasts.
There are some local candidates that I skip based on ignorance, but for the majority, I know enough to decide.
And sometimes it's important to have a majority because so much rides on that. So I also vote party rather than candidate for that reason.
I wish that was not the case, but we're stuck with things as they are right now.
I see it differently, of course. I've been voting for 50 years or so, in federal, provincial and municipal elections. I have never not voted when I had the opportunity, and I have always, every single time, been able to articulate why I voted the way I did.
And to your other point about party lines...I have a tendency to vote Liberal in Canada, but have voted otherwise on quite a few occasions. But always for what I conscientiously thought were valid reasons.
And, of course, things haven't always turned out the way that I hoped...but that's part of the deal, isn't it?
I really do wonder if it is actually important to have a majority. It often seems to me that giving politicians the challenge of a minority government forces them to actually do the hard work of negotiating for things that a larger plurality can accept. I think that's a good thing. Some of the best legislation in Canada's history has come from minority governments of the day. Some examples:
- In 1925, Mackenzie King’s minority Liberal government agreed to implement old age pension legislation to keep the support of Progressive and Labour Party MPs. The legislation was implemented in 1927.
- In the 1960s, Pearson's minority Liberal government introduced several key components of Canada's modern social-welfare system, including universal health care, government loans for university students, the Canada Assistance Plan (CAP), and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). These initiatives were in part due to the close cooperation between the Liberals and New Democratic Party during Pearson's minority governments.
- Between 1972 and 1974, Trudeau introduced a program of economic nationalism that included the creation of PetroCanada. In addition, old age pensions were indexed to the cost of living. Again, this was due in part to the close cooperation between the Liberals and NDP during Trudeau's minority government.