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Should you cast a vote even if you're not informed on the candidates/issues

I vote

  • on everything and will continue to do so

    Votes: 6 25.0%
  • on everything but will not going forward

    Votes: 1 4.2%
  • only when informed

    Votes: 15 62.5%
  • I don't vote

    Votes: 2 8.3%

  • Total voters
    24
  • Poll closed .
But, your thread title refers to an issue that is not reflected by your poll. That is the issue of...what do I think OTHER people should do. I don't care. I do what I think I should do...others are free to do what they think they should do. I think that's a good attitude. If more people stopped trying to tell other people what they should do and just worried about what they, personally, are doing we would be a whole lot better off as a society.

Is there some reason you believe that other people SHOULDN'T research and be as well informed as possible before voting? (I realize that wasn't your point, but I think it's an issue worth exploring.)
 
Is there some reason you believe that other people SHOULDN'T research and be as well informed as possible before voting? (I realize that wasn't your point, but I think it's an issue worth exploring.)

shrug...

The flip side of me telling someone what they should do is me telling someone what they shouldn't do. I don't want to tell someone either thing.

btw, I don't think I said that people SHOULDN'T research and be as well informed as possible...as you seem to think I said.
 
16 races in total with 24 selections to be made. If you researched every candidate on the ballot that would be 48 individuals plus the 3 referenda.
Dropping the frankly weird idea of elected judges would sort that problem out then. :cool:
 
I think not, because a vote impacts others too, in unforeseen ways if you vote but aren't informed. I cringe when hearing someone admit on camera "It's just like throwing darts" as in they just randomly vote. Some of the candidates may also work hard to put forth their vision, and if everyone voted with no awareness, may as well end campaigning altogether and just elect the town drunk
 
So do you vote even if you're not informed?
It depends on the office the candidate is running for. Someone running for city dog catcher I could care less. If I am voting for someone who is making laws then I do make sure I know what that candidate's views are and what laws they did or not vote for.
 
I've always believed that you should always vote and when confronted by names that I don't recognize on the ballot, I usually pick a mix of democrats and republicans. I figure if I pick of 2 democrats and 2 republicans out of 9 family court judge candidates they balance each other out.

I read a fairly convincing piece this morning in the Washington Post that makes the claim that you actually have an obligation to
not vote if ignorant of the issues/candidates. The piece says in part:

Even if you are an unusually well-informed voter, the enormous size, scope, and complexity of modern government ensure that there will be many issues and candidates about which you know very little….

It’s unrealistic to expect that everyone will achieve a high level of knowledge about every race and every initiative. But if you find that you know little or nothing about a particular race or ballot question, you might want to consider simply not voting on it. As political philosopher Jason Brennan argues, voters have a moral duty to be at least reasonably well-informed about the issues they vote on, because the decisions they make affect not just themselves but all of society. John Stuart Mill put it well when he wrote that voting is not just an exercise of personal choice, but rather “the exercise of power over others.” If you can’t exercise that power in at least a minimally responsible manner, maybe you should not do so at all.


(Link to full article: On election day, consider abstaining from ignorant voting - The Washington Post )

So do you vote even if you're not informed?

Ah, one of the very core problems with unrestricted democracy. It's a popularity contest on important issues determined by selfish ignorant morons. And the author also says that voters have a "moral duty", so much for the left since neither understand "moral" or "Duty" or responsibility, etc.

John Stuart Mill put it well when he wrote that voting is not just an exercise of personal choice, but rather “the exercise of power over others.” This argument is exactly the same as part of Robert Heinlein's in Starship Troopers as to why franchise, being an act of force, should only be exercised by those trained and experienced in the use of force.

Voting, like any other "right" is really a privilege and like all privileges, it also holds a responsibility. And like any other "right", only people who have stood up and fought for it and to keep should have it. Something earned is very valuable to a person, something unearned has no real value at all.
 
I've always believed that you should always vote and when confronted by names that I don't recognize on the ballot, I usually pick a mix of democrats and republicans. I figure if I pick of 2 democrats and 2 republicans out of 9 family court judge candidates they balance each other out.

I read a fairly convincing piece this morning in the Washington Post that makes the claim that you actually have an obligation to
not vote if ignorant of the issues/candidates. The piece says in part:

Even if you are an unusually well-informed voter, the enormous size, scope, and complexity of modern government ensure that there will be many issues and candidates about which you know very little….

It’s unrealistic to expect that everyone will achieve a high level of knowledge about every race and every initiative. But if you find that you know little or nothing about a particular race or ballot question, you might want to consider simply not voting on it. As political philosopher Jason Brennan argues, voters have a moral duty to be at least reasonably well-informed about the issues they vote on, because the decisions they make affect not just themselves but all of society. John Stuart Mill put it well when he wrote that voting is not just an exercise of personal choice, but rather “the exercise of power over others.” If you can’t exercise that power in at least a minimally responsible manner, maybe you should not do so at all.


(Link to full article: On election day, consider abstaining from ignorant voting - The Washington Post )

So do you vote even if you're not informed?
I believe you should only vote if you are informed about the candidates/issues. And only if you care.

Back in my younger days I used to vote on everything, but the last couple decades I have evolved to where now I only vote on that which I am knowledgeable. For example, this election I was presented with nine candidates for some county agriculture board, and was supposed to pick five. I don't know any of these people so I left that part blank. Same with reaffirming judges, if I don't know them I leave it blank.

I did vote to keep one judge, as she presided over a case where I served jury duty a few years ago and I thought she was good, so I felt fine reaffirming her.
 
I've never gone in to voting booth without some decent idea about the people I would be voting for.

I don't like the idea of suggesting anyone chooses not to vote but I can see where it could be the least worst option. I agree that there is a responsibility to know who/what you're voting for and "ignorant voting" can be damaging. I think we also have a responsibility to be involved in the political process though and I don't see why the average person shouldn't be able to gain that basic knowledge, though I think there are things which can be done to help.

For example, in a number of the local elections here, we get an independently produced booklet in the post which has a page for each candidate standing to introduce themselves and lay out their policies. There is a lot of the usual political spin of course but it at least means everyone should know who all the candidates are (which can also help provide balance for the independents and minor parties who get little or no media attention).
That's one thing that California does that I miss here in Iowa. That was really helpful, IMO.

Now, some candidates would choose to not participate (usually obscure 4th party candidates), and that's fine, but they had the opportunity.
 
The idea that leaving some positions/issues up to others will mean that "more informed" voters will make the "correct" decision ignores the prevalence of straight ticket voters and increases greatly the chance that ballot initiatives will pass simply because they are likely to have "more informed" folks that support them. My "rule of thumb" in these situations is to vote to keep the incumbent (regardless of party affiliation) unless I am aware of a problem within that area/position of gov't, and to vote against added borrowing or freedom restricting ballot initiatives. In other words, when in doubt throw bums out and try to keep borrowing and the scope of gov't to a minimum.
What you say is true. I am especially sympathetic to the "throw the bums out" position. But I don't vote for candidates/issues that I am not informed simply to maintain my own integrity. I would feel dishonest if I voted for (or against) a person when I really had no opinion one way or another in that particular race.
 
I guess I just don't understand why you would want to vote if you're uninformed.

I'm not into American Idol. I don't watch the show so why would I vote for a contestant?
 
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