What do you say to someone who thinks their vote in a state or federal election actually matters?

Tell them they are right.

The OP must be Republican. Republicans don't actually want people to vote.

They are more likely to be struck by lightning and killed on the way to the polling station than for their vote to matter in a presidential election.

They are more likely to win both the mega millions and powerball jackpots in the same week.

There are probably millions of people who think similarly to them and act like they do. If they start to that their individual vote doesn't matter and they don't vote, millions of their representative group might think the same way and also not vote.

Now they have no representation. The groups with individuals who don't think that way will have all the power.

Your welcome.

chocchips wrote:

Any advice?

If it matters to them, it matters, much like your running, presumably.

chocchips wrote:

Any advice?

If they favor Republican candidates, tell them they are right and not to bother.

If they prefer Democrats, tell them to get their arse to the polls. Four more years, baby!

The Thing from Another Thing wrote:

The OP must be Republican. Republicans don't actually want people to vote.

You're thinking of the Dems and AG Holden who are in the practice of protecting club-wielding Black Panthers who intimidate people on election day and prevent them from entering polling stations.

Republicans are the one's who believe in the rule of law and the protection of private property and libery. They're not the ones who try to rewrite the rule book everytime a few more votes will help them.

Got Beat Up By the Hoodies wrote:

Republicans are the one's who believe in the rule of law and the protection of private property and libery. They're not the ones who try to rewrite the rule book everytime a few more votes will help them.

You mean like allowing women and blacks to vote?

Same thing you say to someone who runs a 5 hour marathon.

oppuly wrote:

Same thing you say to someone who runs a 5 hour marathon.

Congratulations?

Conundrum wrote:

There are probably millions of people who think similarly to them and act like they do. If they start to that their individual vote doesn't matter and they don't vote, millions of their representative group might think the same way and also not vote.

Now they have no representation. The groups with individuals who don't think that way will have all the power.

Your welcome.

"If they start to (think) that their individual vote doesn't matter and they don't vote, millions of their representative group might think the same way and also not vote."

This ^ makes absolutely no sense. How the hell is this one individual deciding not to vote causing millions of others to decide not to vote?

I do like you're "Your welcome", though.

Florida '00 had a difference of approx 500 votes. The entire election wound up decided by that state. It would be great to convince just 500 stooges (those whose views differ from you) not to bother to vote.

My advice is this. Voting really matters because its the one day of the year that nobody has more power than you. Bill Gates and Donald Trump get one vote, and I get one vote. The only exception is that the Chicago cemetaries get about three votes. And polling data indicates that the cemetaries will vote overwhelmingly democrat for the 30th election in a row.

Despite your name you are not very logical. This situation is very similar to the tragedy of the commons.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons

Logical Man wrote:

Conundrum wrote:

There are probably millions of people who think similarly to them and act like they do. If they start to that their individual vote doesn't matter and they don't vote, millions of their representative group might think the same way and also not vote.

Now they have no representation. The groups with individuals who don't think that way will have all the power.

Your welcome.

"If they start to (think) that their individual vote doesn't matter and they don't vote, millions of their representative group might think the same way and also not vote."

This ^ makes absolutely no sense. How the hell is this one individual deciding not to vote causing millions of others to decide not to vote?

I do like you're "Your welcome", though.

Thank you for the great reply.

Maybe I can better describe the scenario like this:

Suppose there is an election for state Governor coming up and I plan on voting for candidate X. However, on polling day, for whatever reason, I don't get to the polls. Let's say candidate X still wins the election. In this case, my vote on election day really wouldn't have mattered: candidate X would've won if I voted, and he/she still won even though I didn't vote.

RPS wrote:

Despite your name you are not very logical. This situation is very similar to the tragedy of the commons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons

I am not seeing the similarity. Honest question.

RPS wrote:

Despite your name you are not very logical. This situation is very similar to the tragedy of the commons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons

Logical Man wrote:

"If they start to (think) that their individual vote doesn't matter and they don't vote, millions of their representative group might think the same way and also not vote."

This ^ makes absolutely no sense. How the hell is this one individual deciding not to vote causing millions of others to decide not to vote?

I do like you're "Your welcome", though.

OK, then you are going to have to explain how my not voting causes millions of others to decide not to vote.

Ready...Go!

(Now, if you had tried butterfly effect

I would have given you credit for being wrong but at least wrong in a superficially sensible way { score 50/100 } As it is you are at 0/100 )

Tell them that if enough people vote the same way, then their collective votes matter.

It's like saying that it doesn't matter if you throw your trash in the street. If one person does it, it probably doesn't matter. The trash will blow away, your neighbors will pick it up, or whatever and it will have no effect or a trivial effect.

However, if everyone in your neighborhood decides to throw their trash in the street, you've got a serious problem.

To put it differently, just because there are no consequences to one person acting in a certain way, it does not logically follow that there are no consequences if a significant number of people act that certain way.

What I mean it is somewhat similar to the tragedy of the commons is that individuals are driven by selfish interests (in this case not voting is easier than voting). Voting is for the common good but if everyone acted out of their own self interest, no one would vote and our society would collapse.

Perhaps more accurately I should have said it is the paradox of voting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_voting