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Is An Uninformed Vote Better Than No Vote?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the voter-responsibility dept.

ras_b asks: "I don't pay attention to politics at all, and so I will not be voting in today's elections. My family has been telling me that this is a mistake and I should vote anyway, partly because I have slightly conservative views which agrees with their political outlook. My reasoning is that since I am totally uninformed, I shouldn't vote. I don't want to vote Republican or Democrat, only to find out later I totally disagree with something a candidate stands for. So, here's my dilemma and my question: Is an uninformed vote better than no vote?" This issue is touched upon in a posting by Ezra Klein, of the The American Prospect, who disagrees, arguing against a similar assertion by Greg Mankiw, from a suppressed Fortune article. Greg says: "Sometimes...the most responsible thing a person can do on election day is stay at home ... If you really don't know enough to cast an intelligent vote, you should be eager to let your more informed neighbors make the decision." What do you think?

7 of 1,048 comments (clear)

  1. look at it this way by User+956 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is An Uninformed Vote Better Than No Vote?

    Is crapflooding better than a no post?

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
  2. Re:Statistically speaking... by thrillseeker · · Score: 5, Funny

    You cannot be TOTALLY ignorant. You will know something.

    You must be new here.

  3. Re:Has no affect by wo1verin3 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just shut up and vote yes on prop A unless you hate families.

    You don't hate family, do you?

  4. Re:PIPA polls suggest non-uniform distribution by Rei · · Score: 4, Funny

    By the way: to other gay atheists out there short on flags and kerosene: now is the time to purchase them on ebay, before wedding season starts.

    Just keep your personal, embroidered copies of the homosexual agenda secure, okay? We can't let the right get ahold of any of them.

    --
    Anchor: "We take you now to our Chief Meteorologist, Paris Hilton." Paris: "It's hot." Anchor: "Thank you."
  5. Re:Hurts independents by kfg · · Score: 3, Funny

    Eh, I just wouldn't belong to any party that would have me as part of its constituency is all.

    KFG

  6. Re:Has no affect by DragonWriter · · Score: 4, Funny
    charge. the only problemis picking that one person but revolutions & power struggels usually handle that pretty well.


    This is only true for extremely bad values of "pretty well".
  7. Re:Pardon? by Digital+Vomit · · Score: 5, Funny
    Yes, but how do you measure ignorance?

    In Bushels?

    --
    Modern copyright is theft of culture from everyone and it retards the progress of the useful arts and sciences.