how many people consistantly vote in all elections

[Pez]

in response to all the people accusing candidates of being "washington insiders", i'm wondering how many people actually vote in the midterm elections, and all elections for that matter-- local, statewide, national-- to make sure their voices are heard and their preferred party is elected at all levels of government. the attacks on some of the candidates have been based in large part on their status as "washington insiders". these people were elected... ELECTED. the only way people become "insiders" is to be elected, multiple terms, to office. when someone calls a candidate an "insider" like it is something to be ashamed of, it leads me to believe that the person making the accusation is not actively participating in electing these individuals, and in my opinion should not take moral high ground on the issue because they have not done their part. it is exciting to be involved in politics during presidential campaigns, but the fact is we all have a responsibility to be involved when it isn't on television 24 hours a day (i.e. when it isn't exciting). this is more of a plea than anything; please, vote often. there is no reason why we should have both houses ruled by republicans. especially when a majority of the population is, in fact, liberal.

[sandnsea]

1. Mail-In voting

I even vote in elections that I didn't even know were happening until I got my ballot in the mail. So yeah, I vote in EVERY election. Mail-in voting is great guys, you should really try to get it in your states!!

[Pez]

5. if they introduce electronic voting...

...a.k.a. "oops guess i mistook dem for BUSH" i'm sending in an absentee ballot. i suggest everyone who has electronic voting machines to do the same. i'm not normally a paranoid person, but seriously, this means war.

;-D

[sandnsea]

6. I don't have to request a ballot!!!

I was trying to find out more about Michigan and the internet primary voting. They either have, or tried to get, a mail-in voting. But people still have to request the ballot. Mine just automtically comes in the mail. Very cool, I love it!! Every registered voter should just get a ballot in the mail, don't you think?

[mndemocrat_29]

12. I love that idea!

I know that many people love going down to vote at the polls (myself included), but so many people would vote, but simply forget, that I think that having everyone just automatically receive their ballots wouldn't be such a bad idea. At the very least, I think someone should be able to sign up to always receive their mail-in ballots.

[sandnsea]

15. You can still 'go to the polls' too!

You get your ballot in the mail. You have a choice of mailing it back in or dropping it off at a ballot location. And in larger areas, there's still old-fashioned polling places. It's really the best of all worlds.

Even with this though, we were 9th in 2000 with 79% voter participation, in 2002 69%. Which somehow calculates out to 60% of the adult population voting in 2000. You'd think it would be better.

[mndemocrat_29]

17. You'd think it would be

I definitely like this system.

(I actually think my state, Minnesota, had the country's highest turnout.)

[Rowdyboy]

2. Have missed one election

in 31 years-and that includes primaries and runoffs. I LOVE to vote.

[dkf]

3. I have voted in every election since I turned 18.

On the other hand, I have only become disillusioned with the establishment lately.

Last election, I didn't understand why McCain was going on and on about special interests. To me it was all blah blah blah.

It was only after Enron, 9/11, Arthur Anderson, Global Crossing, Frank Quattrone, and Purchasing drugs from Canada that I realized how bought our Government is.

Now, I am pissed and anti-establishment.

[Pez]

4. me too

don't get pissed; get even. sounds like you are...

the "establishment" is the repukes attempting to disenfranchise voters by manipulation and media control. that is the real enemy... that is what we have to get angry about. this election, like none i've experienced before, is something like sports allegiance. in the end though, we all like baseball (work with me here). so go out and vote. "vote early and vote often." that will send a clear message. with that kind of sentiment, karl rove & co. will become obsolete. no one will be left to entertain his ridiculous propoganda. we all own this country, but have been put off for various reasons. let's kick BUSH INC. in the ass and take our place-- district, county, state, nation. there's no reason why we should be anything but happy with ~our~ government. go dems!

[liberalmike27]

11. Enmity Fosters Non-voting

I agree with what you say, the media and conservative strategy of taking the debate to the level of screaming at each other, along with purposefully representing both parties as corrupt dissuades most from voting.

If the powers that be (they!) really wanted everyone to vote, there are many things they could do to encourage it. One great thing would be to push our politicians toward allowing for Instant Runoff Voting in the presidential election. The fact that we don't have this, only discourages third-parties from running, and when they do it is most often a populist party who just saps Democratic votes. Allowing for a runoff, broadens the political spectrum, and would allow people to align their choices from favorite to least-favorite, and then we could actually have the president elected by a true-majority. But the way we have it now, has just left the biggest party, the non-voter party out in the cold as far as policy decisions. Why do you think that neither party is dealing with the fact we keep sending our manufacturing jobs abroad? These people are mostly those who don't vote.

Some stats, 17% elected Republicans in the 2002 election, and 15% voted to elect Democrats. There were 1.1% who picked different party affiliations, which leaves the largest party the non-voter Party at about 67% inclusive of people registered and not voting, or of age and never registered. I honestly believe these people would be more likely to vote, had they adequate candidates that addressed their needs, and they knew of runoffs, so we could all vote libertarian, Democratic, Republican, or Green Party.

[chaumont58]

7. I voted for the first time in 1962, for Pat Brown,

and have not missed a primary or general election since. I think it is crazy for people to miss a vote. It is the only way poor people can have any affect at all on the political outcome.

[izzie]

8. Oh I do but I swear it is because of this

We talked about this at the table as kids and I recall my mother saying that women could not vote when she was born, and I always can see her saying that.She was born in 1914 and I also recall my mother in law saying she had to clean the oil lamps, b.1904 and that I fell off the chair about.So their is shock to make one vote.

[soothsayer]

9. I do but I swear it is because of THIS (not as noble as yours)

My precinct is a school that holds a BAKE SALE right outside the polling place. Yummy! Cannot bring myself to miss the black bottomed brownies (well, brownies with cream cheese in 'em) nor rice krispy treats nor burnt, homemade cookies.

Horrors, though! I've just moved across town, and I'm sure I've got a new polling place, darnit.

[dofus]

10. I haven't missed

a major election since I started. I almost always vote in primaries, always vote for school funding. There are local elections and school board ones that I wind up skipping because I haven't a clue who's running or what the issues are. Which makes me less than a perfect citizen, I know.

Also, I live in Kansas, and here the only primaries that matter are the Republican ones, and I cannot bring myself to register as a Republican, although many people I know have done just that so as to vote in the primary.

Anyway, I can see skipping all the smaller elections, but not to vote for President every four years, and Senator/Congressperson every inbetween time is hardly a mark of good citizenship.

[eyesroll]

13. I vote in most. I can't say all.

I skipped a local referendum in 1998, because we were 10 days from moving out of the area, and I didn't think it was fair to push a tax increase that wouldn't affect me at all.

FWIW, just about everyone in my family is politically active. My grandmother's been school-board president, my uncle ran for city council (as a re:puke:, but he recanted later), my dad's thinking about it, and my husband's running for Congress.

[Joe Flowers]

14. I do!

I always vote! 100%

[genius]

16. I always vote and I always vote Democrat.

That's why I'm hoping Dean won't get the nomination. I cannot vote for that guy. If we run him, we'll get a lot fewer votes than in 00 or 02.

[burr]

18. I have...

and with every passing election I feel like my vote counts less and less. When I first started, I felt my vote would have the impact of 10 nonvoters. After 2000 I felt like it didn't count at all. After 2002 I feel like my vote has encouraged the status quo, not reform.