Did You VoteOrNot.org?

WhiskerBiscuit writes "The boys at Am I Hot or Not have started a sweepstakes to encourage people to register to vote. According to this blogger's analysis, the contest should encourage disempowered people to register (subject to the constraint that poor people don't have computers). The organizers have cleverly split the prize between a lucky winner and whoever happens to have referred them, providing a selection advantage for viral dispersal of the meme."

Comments

How about encouraging them to register

[Marxist Hacker 42]

By actually giving them a candidate they can agree with?

To bad for the rest of us.

[agent dero]

Shortly after turning 18 I registered to vote

By voting, I can bitch and moan about politics all I want, because I'm actively trying to change it with my little bit of power

Re:To bad for the rest of us.

[HMA2000]

Even if you don't vote it is your god given right to complain. The idea that if you don't vote you can't complain is a platitude that makes no sense if you apply even a second of analysis to it.

Re:To bad for the rest of us.

[TopShelf]

Oh you can certainly complain if you don't vote, but it undermines your credibility. Why should anyone care about the political opinion of someone who can't even be bothered to vote?

Re:To bad for the rest of us.

[Anonymous Coward]

Uh not to question Mr. Carlin, but has he heard of the night of long knives? Full, free democratic would not be the way to describe Germany circa 1932.

Re:To bad for the rest of us.

[tsg]

Complaining about the state of affairs when you haven't voted is like complaining that it's too hot in your car when all you have to do is roll the window down.

This is, of course, assuming that rolling the window down will make it cooler.

Re:To bad for the rest of us.

[Yokaze]

> "Next time they give you all that civic bullshit about voting, keep in mind that Hitler was elected in a full, free democratic election"

And how is this an argument against "civic bullshit"?

Fact is, Hitler didn't get the majority of the votes (in the last free democratic election 33%).
The reason why he gained so much power, was because of a lack of such "civic bullshit".

> "Think it through: [...]"

I wish, one would. Not voting is as good as voting for whoever gets the post. Not voting is a valid choice. But also one for which you are responsible.

Vote or shut up!

[jarich]

Seriously, if you don't care enough to vote, then you shouldn't be complaining about the result.

Voter registration is web available in my county... it's amazing how few people on my street are even registered!

Vote republican. Vote democrat. Vote anything, just vote!

Re:Vote or shut up!

[jadavis]

Why encourage other people to vote? I'd rather be 1 out of 100 registered voters than 1 out of 100 million registered voters.

What we're really doing when we scrape for more votes is we tell the people who have only seen the rhetoric and catch phrases to make a decision.

People who don't understand economics are just not going to make good decisions at the polls. People who do not understand the structure of our government are not going to make good decisions at the polls (Do states have any individual power anymore? Not really, everything is Federal now because not enough voters know the difference. So much for the United States of America.).

People who don't understand these concepts have a right to vote. But why are we encouraging them?

My theory is that when these people do vote, they vote primarily for one party, and that is the party that encourages them to vote. I don't see much altruism in the "get out the vote" crowd at all.

Don't vote, don't bitch

[onyxruby]

Think of this vote as your right to bitch for the next four years. If you don't vote you have no right to complain, because you could have done something about it, and didn't.

Now if you do vote, than by all means, bitch and complain. Ever wonder why younger people always get shafted by congress and the elderly wield lots of power? One reason, and one reason only for this, young people don't vote and elderly people do.

500 some votes put W in power, (never mind contested stuff), so dont ever think your vote doesn't count.

I think it would be much more constructive...

[Jhon]

to spend time and effort trying to increase awareness of local/state/federal issues -- an INFORMED voter is much more important than getting someone who is too apathetic to even register to vote to get up off his/her arse and actually VOTE. An uninformed vote is as bad (arguably worse) than just flipping a coin.

"Disempowered" indeed. It takes virtually no time to register and virtually no time to apply for and fill out an absentee ballot. Voting is easy and cost free (other than the effort it takes to take pen to paper).

Re:Interesting discussion on the radio...

[rainman_bc]

Then don't waste your time voting. Chose the lesser of evils because they represent your voice.

The argument "they are all crap" is horseshit. They all stand for different things, and you pick the one closest. Remember, you aren't supporting them; you're also asking them to support you when they are in office.

You should vote in respect for the people throughout the world who die fighting for their right to vote. It's disrepesctful of those who've died for the right to vote to spoil your ballot.

Democracy isn't perfect, but it sure as hell is better than any other alternative out there.

Spam

[dv8ed]

The organizers have cleverly split the prize between a lucky winner and whoever happens to have referred them, providing a selection advantage for viral dispersal of the meme.

That's a hell of a lot of words to say that it encourages people to spam.

"Get Out and Vote!" = Dangerous

[Kombat]

I've said this before, so I'll make my point quickly: I think it is a very bad idea to blindly encourage people to vote. PSA's that preach, "I don't care how you vote, just so long as you do" are dangerous. The truth is, not everybody is equipped to vote. The majority of people don't vote, because the majority of poeple don't have a clue what the candidates platforms are. People don't take the time to get informed. They hear a little newsbyte here, or some rumour in the coffee room there, then go and pick the guy who looks nicer.

My point is, when you encourage ignorant, apathetic people to vote, you're canceling out the votes of those who actually bothered to research the issues and make an informed decision. Voting is far too important to be left to the ignorant, apathetic, sub-100-IQ TV-addicted beer-chuggers.

Just my opinion.

The problem with not voting.

[Bombcar]

The main problem with not voting as a political statement is that there is absolutely nothing to distinguish between someone who doesn't vote because he hates the candidates and someone who doesn't vote because he hates moving.

You should vote, even if all you do is vote for some local school board official. Or write in Donald Duck. Anything to get a ballot in. If 15% of the presidential vote went to people outside the two parties, they'd sit up and take notice.

Otherwise they just write you off as apathetical.

How is registering to vote a bad idea?

[mcmonkey]

I play a little game whenever stuff like this comes up. I call it 'spot the fascist.'

It's easy. Whatever else someone else says, whatever party they say they're with, whatever point of view they say they are supporting, you know you've found one when they come out against folks getting registered and voting.

In the USA, most places, you have to register before you can vote. If you don't register, you can't vote. Folks (when meeting the legal requirements of age, residency, etc.) should vote; therefor they should register to vote.

It doesn't matter why they register. It doesn't matter why they vote. It matters that they do register and vote.

I'm reminded of a discussion on NPR about prisoner voting. The 'against' side brought up some of the same arguments we hear is the student voting discussions. Dorms/prisons are temporary residence; students/prisoners don't have a stake in the community; have the option of absentee ballet, the usual.

I found myself starting seeing the logic on the side against, when the guy come out with (paraphrasing) 'large prison populations dominate small communities, and we don't like who prisoners might vote for.'

Did you spot the fascist?

In conclusion, I support rules governing the voting process and who gets to vote. I'm not coming out for anarchy. However, someone's motivation for registering or voting, or who they might vote (or not vote) for should have no bearing on their legal status as a voter and should not be used by others as encouragement to not vote.

Vote early, vote often.

BTW, where is it illegal for poll workers to ask for ID?

elitism

[commodoresloat]

I'd rather be 1 out of 100 registered voters than 1 out of 100 million registered voters.

Well, then, why bother with elections at all? Why not just appoint you and your 100 friends monarchs-for-life? The whole point of democracy is that everybody gets to vote, not just the people you think are the smartest or the best informed.