The Wasted Vote.

[Aristoddler]

I just finished having a discussion with a friend of mine who is currently sitting in his "North American Political History" class in University.

I had mentioned to him how I had not voted for the party to which I am accustomed to, or the one that I wanted to vote for, but instead I had voted for the party that would have been the top contender to go against the Liberals here in Canada. (You fellow Canucks know why)

Normally, I vote NDP. For this election however, I simply did not want one of the front runners to be elected (Stéphane Dion) so in order to do my part to avoid the Liberals to be elected in my area, I voted for the only party which had the chance to defeat the Liberals, which of course are the Conservatives.

Here's the debate: By voting for (what I opine as) the lesser of two evils...did I waste my vote, or did I betray my beliefs in the NDP?


The big question is of course: When is a vote actually wasted? Is a vote ever truly wasted, if the person voting believes in what they're doing? What is a wasted vote?

[Khethil]

Originally Posted by Aristoddler

When is a vote actually wasted?

Never, I wouldn't think.

[BrightNoon]

My view is that one should vote according to their actual preference. Whether one votes for a party that is likely to win or one without much of a chance, your single vote will almost certainly not change the election's results. I know of no case in which an election came down to one vote. Of course, people criticize this view of mine, usually when I'm defending the America Libertarian Party, by saying that, "...well, if everyone thought that way, it could make a difference." This is stupid though; unless I am preaching my voting philosophy, it remains private; I influence no one.

[nameless]

Originally Posted by Aristoddler

By voting for (what I opine as) the lesser of two evils...did I waste my vote, or did I betray my beliefs in the NDP?

You did not waste your vote, you voted for evil.
Who and what you 'betray' by doing so is your business.

[jgweed]

It may be that one vote will not decide an election (it did decide an impeachment in the US), especially if one votes for a third-party candidate. But if that candidate actually receives a significant (leaving the definition intentionlly open) number of votes, could this not influence future elections or perhaps some of the decisions of those in power by its number? That the Libertarian Party gets even a marginal number might cause Independents to give it a "second look" next time, and it might signify to everyone that there is a section of citizens voting against both traditional parties.

[Aedes]

Is it a wasted vote to vote for the inevitable winner? I lived in Connecticut until I was 30 years old except for 4 years in New York for college, and then spent 3 years in Boston from 30-33 years of age. I'm a liberal guy, I voted for Clinton, Gore, Kerry, etc, I voted for Ted Kennedy when I was in Boston, etc. Were those wasted votes because the outcome was a foregone conclusion?

Now I've lived in North Carolina for about a year and a half, and suddenly I'm in the middle of a political battleground (which is incidentally utterly annoying). My vote means a lot more here. And, in fact, if I chose to vote for a hopeless third party candidate, it would NOT be wasted here because the "volume" of such a statement would be more important.

Think about the Nader voters in Florida in 2000 -- their votes weren't wasted, they were (regrettably) central to the election.

[Dave Allen]

Originally Posted by Aristoddler

Here's the debate: By voting for (what I opine as) the lesser of two evils...did I waste my vote, or did I betray my beliefs in the NDP?

I think you should be applauded for not letting a partizan preference for a particular party prevent you from supporting another if and when their policies or candidates are superior. I suspect many people apathetically support a particular party simply because during the formation of their political opinions a particular party seemed more attractive - and they can't be bothered to keep up to date with the vissicitudes that the parties they could vote for go through.

I don't think you have betrayed anyone. Perhaps if you want your vote to count as constructive criticism you should find a way of feeding back to your usual choice of support why you felt that you could not do so this time round.

I am in two minds as to whether or not a vote can be wasted. I tend to think that even if you back a clear loser your votes counts, as the winning parties may adopt, say, Green principles if they notice that the Green party have done better than they expected despite not winning.

On the other hand I think political parties might simply be too busy meeting their own agendas and reacting to the changes they face to consider adopting the policies of rival parties just because a few more people voted for them than normal - I mean, what chances to Green policies have at a time when people are worried about their jobs?

[lakeshoredrive]

To waste a vote is to remove its value from it.
By asking the question you posed above, you are assuming that a vote has some intrinsic value. So I would answer your question with another question: what value, if any, does a vote inherently possess?
The vote, to me, only has worth to those who choose to play the game of Politics. And, if there is no value, then what is there to waste? Can something without meaning be wasted?

[Khethil]

Originally Posted by lakeshoredrive

The vote, to me, only has worth to those who choose to play the game of Politics. And, if there is no value, then what is there to waste? Can something without meaning be wasted?

Woah, so voting has no worth? I've always been under the idea that voting played some part in an election. You mean this isn't true?

Could you elaborate?

Thanks

[Joe]

Originally Posted by Aristoddler

I just finished having a discussion with a friend of mine who is currently sitting in his "North American Political History" class in University.

I had mentioned to him how I had not voted for the party to which I am accustomed to, or the one that I wanted to vote for, but instead I had voted for the party that would have been the top contender to go against the Liberals here in Canada. (You fellow Canucks know why)

Normally, I vote NDP. For this election however, I simply did not want one of the front runners to be elected (Stéphane Dion) so in order to do my part to avoid the Liberals to be elected in my area, I voted for the only party which had the chance to defeat the Liberals, which of course are the Conservatives.

Here's the debate: By voting for (what I opine as) the lesser of two evils...did I waste my vote, or did I betray my beliefs in the NDP?


The big question is of course: When is a vote actually wasted? Is a vote ever truly wasted, if the person voting believes in what they're doing? What is a wasted vote?

What you are experiencing is truly mind opening. You are asking your self, whether you realize it or not, what does a "party" really represent? Does it play on generalities and pull you into something you do not totally agree with?

Take this to a place where you can honestly look at the system. Go from there and maybe you'll embark on something that causes real influence and change. Find a way to address these questions, completely.