Suddenly, it may be cool to be an American again

[HAL 9000 96]

HAL 9000 believes that candidates can be written in as well.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

That's a good point. Deliberately spoiled ballots have always been a valid part of the election process. One hopes that is still taken into consideration.

It would be disappointing if you could no longer vote for "Legalise Cannabis" or "George Bush's Limp #######".

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

HAL 9000 believes that candidates can be written in as well.

Not everywhere, I believe.

[William33 110]

Not ugliness A.J., reality (aside from your posted photos of course).

Kaydee may be hard-line Republican, but my choice was no vote. No viable candidates. If one feels compelled to make a choice, they have lost the ability to choose.

I don't really agree with that. If you don't vote - you're not counted.

Even scribbling over your ballot is better than not voting at all - as destroyed ballots are counted.

Though I do wonder whether the new electronic voting machines allow you to make an anarchist choice...

Counted for what purpose? Ignorance to the voting process? That parallels the notion that a clear mark on a punch through ballot is not a vote, even if the punch (oval) was only 30% complete, yet other ovals were untouched.....

No vote, is a vote.

[HAL 9000 96]

HAL 9000 believes that candidates can be written in as well.

Not everywhere, I believe.

Yes you are correct brother AJ. I was generalizing.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

No vote, is a vote.

A blank ballot is a vote.

Not casting a ballot at all is not.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Not ugliness A.J., reality (aside from your posted photos of course).

Kaydee may be hard-line Republican, but my choice was no vote. No viable candidates. If one feels compelled to make a choice, they have lost the ability to choose.

I don't really agree with that. If you don't vote - you're not counted.

Even scribbling over your ballot is better than not voting at all - as destroyed ballots are counted.

Though I do wonder whether the new electronic voting machines allow you to make an anarchist choice...

Counted for what purpose? Ignorance to the voting process? That parallels the notion that a clear mark on a punch through ballot is not a vote, even if the punch (oval) was only 30% complete, yet other ovals were untouched.....

No vote, is a vote.

If 20% of the US voting population who voted in the election voted for Wile-E-Coyote or Batman it would send a stronger signal to the parties than not voting at all.

This is how the parties formulate their election campaign strategies - if you don't vote they don't care about you in order to try and seek your vote, and hence we have parties who spend less time appealing to mainstream America and more to the fringe elements which invariably make up the core of their base.

For example, I rather doubt that the GOP is entirely made up of gun-toting religious maniacs - but listening to the way their politicians campaign in elections you wouldn't know it.

[William33 110]

No vote, is a vote.

A blank ballot is a vote.

Not casting a ballot at all is not.

Really?... Where do the blank ballots tally in the election? Perhaps I missed that column.

Can you explain your post?

[Peikko 1,575]

They always tally them in UK elections, and they give the % too. Not sure what happens here though, but it has always played an important role in the election process so i would be very surprised if that isn't a part of how things work here too.

[HAL 9000 96]

Election boards communicate blank ballots to the parties.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

No vote, is a vote.

A blank ballot is a vote.

Not casting a ballot at all is not.

Really?... Where do the blank ballots tally in the election? Perhaps I missed that column.

Can you explain your post?

What do you think would happen if only 10% of the people who voted voted for the two party system and everyone else marked a fictional candidate on their ballot?

In contrast - what has happened in previous elections where the result has been determined on the basis of a 40% turnout?

[HAL 9000 96]

And EXIT POLLS exist. Thereby, the media becomes informed.

[William33 110]

Not ugliness A.J., reality (aside from your posted photos of course).

Kaydee may be hard-line Republican, but my choice was no vote. No viable candidates. If one feels compelled to make a choice, they have lost the ability to choose.

I don't really agree with that. If you don't vote - you're not counted.

Even scribbling over your ballot is better than not voting at all - as destroyed ballots are counted.

Though I do wonder whether the new electronic voting machines allow you to make an anarchist choice...

Counted for what purpose? Ignorance to the voting process? That parallels the notion that a clear mark on a punch through ballot is not a vote, even if the punch (oval) was only 30% complete, yet other ovals were untouched.....

No vote, is a vote.

If 20% of the US voting population who voted in the election voted for Wile-E-Coyote or Batman it would send a stronger signal to the parties than not voting at all.

This is how the parties formulate their election campaign strategies - if you don't vote they don't care about you in order to try and seek your vote, and hence we have parties who spend less time appealing to mainstream America and more to the fringe elements which invariably make up the core of their base.

For example, I rather doubt that the GOP is entirely made up of gun-toting religious maniacs - but listening to the way their politicians campaign in elections you wouldn't know it.

I don't agree. In Missouri, I could have alternatively voted for Nader, Barr or Baldwin, but that would be counter to my point that there are no viable candidates. A blank ballot does not hold the value you suggest.

Many states count blank ballots as a no-vote.

[HAL 9000 96]

Not ugliness A.J., reality (aside from your posted photos of course).

Kaydee may be hard-line Republican, but my choice was no vote. No viable candidates. If one feels compelled to make a choice, they have lost the ability to choose.

I don't really agree with that. If you don't vote - you're not counted.

Even scribbling over your ballot is better than not voting at all - as destroyed ballots are counted.

Though I do wonder whether the new electronic voting machines allow you to make an anarchist choice...

Counted for what purpose? Ignorance to the voting process? That parallels the notion that a clear mark on a punch through ballot is not a vote, even if the punch (oval) was only 30% complete, yet other ovals were untouched.....

No vote, is a vote.

If 20% of the US voting population who voted in the election voted for Wile-E-Coyote or Batman it would send a stronger signal to the parties than not voting at all.

This is how the parties formulate their election campaign strategies - if you don't vote they don't care about you in order to try and seek your vote, and hence we have parties who spend less time appealing to mainstream America and more to the fringe elements which invariably make up the core of their base.

For example, I rather doubt that the GOP is entirely made up of gun-toting religious maniacs - but listening to the way their politicians campaign in elections you wouldn't know it.

I don't agree. In Missouri, I could have alternatively voted for Nader, Barr or Baldwin, but that would be counter to my point that there are no viable candidates. A blank ballot does not hold the value you suggest.

Many states count blank ballots as a no-vote.

Exactly!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Not ugliness A.J., reality (aside from your posted photos of course).

Kaydee may be hard-line Republican, but my choice was no vote. No viable candidates. If one feels compelled to make a choice, they have lost the ability to choose.

I don't really agree with that. If you don't vote - you're not counted.

Even scribbling over your ballot is better than not voting at all - as destroyed ballots are counted.

Though I do wonder whether the new electronic voting machines allow you to make an anarchist choice...

Counted for what purpose? Ignorance to the voting process? That parallels the notion that a clear mark on a punch through ballot is not a vote, even if the punch (oval) was only 30% complete, yet other ovals were untouched.....

No vote, is a vote.

If 20% of the US voting population who voted in the election voted for Wile-E-Coyote or Batman it would send a stronger signal to the parties than not voting at all.

This is how the parties formulate their election campaign strategies - if you don't vote they don't care about you in order to try and seek your vote, and hence we have parties who spend less time appealing to mainstream America and more to the fringe elements which invariably make up the core of their base.

For example, I rather doubt that the GOP is entirely made up of gun-toting religious maniacs - but listening to the way their politicians campaign in elections you wouldn't know it.

I don't agree. In Missouri, I could have alternatively voted for Nader, Barr or Baldwin, but that would be counter to my point that there are no viable candidates. A blank ballot does not hold the value you suggest.

Many states count blank ballots as a no-vote.

I wasn't talking about a blank ballot - I was talking about spoiled ballots. You don't have to leave it blank, write in a fictional name, scribble all over it, draw a ####### on the form.

Is it counted as a "destroyed ballot" or is it assumed that you didn't show up to cast your vote?

Edited November 6, 2008 by Paul Daniels