The value of voting, whether it counts or not

November 7, 2006 at 9:57 pm (Blogs, Personal, The Left, The Right, The United States, US Government)

I live in a blue state. But my locality is less blue: it’s more Republican that I expected. (Many local incumbents are Republicans, while state officials are Democrats. So far.)

shimauma made this comment in the comment thread for “This Election Is Extremely Important, But Your Own Vote Is Meaningless: An Editorial by Frank J.” by Frank J. of IMAO:

I realize in the blue state I live in my vote may not count, but I went anyway just having the feeling that I was giving the liberals a huge middle finger toward their agenda and that was good enough for me.

It is true that in some cases and in some places voting can be irrelevant. For example, in the elections of 2000, my state’s electors would have voted for Kerry no matter whom I voted for. I could vote for Bush, which wouldn’t count, or I could vote for Kerry (and then not be able to live with myself ever more). I voted straight-ticket Republican anyway. (“Straight-ticket” refers to voting for people of one party and, thus, not mixing up parties. So, voting straight-ticket Republican would mean voting for all Republican candidates (of those positions for which one indicated one’s vote) and not choosing any Democrat(ic) candidates.)

But even if your vote may not swing an election, I encourage you to vote anyway. If you vote with the majority, you have added strength thereto and had your say. If you vote with the minority, your vote exists as an indicator that not everyone agrees with the selection. It also means you vote your conscience, not simply how everyone else votes.

So, if you can, go out and vote.