Is voting useless in the US?

[Sanghyeok]

At this point, if you voted, I suspect it would be.

Thank you Neanderthaland! Very cool!
(I would also probably get deported, but...)

[Pax Nerdvana]

If you don't live in a swing state, your vote's pretty much useless. The only way to change the two party system without violence is to vote third party. It's a way of signaling to the politicians that we're fed up with the system. I voted Jorgenson, and I'm proud of that.

[The Lone Alliance]

The 2020 US election has so far failed to materialise the changes that were expected.

Literally still counting the vote.

I submit that 'voting' is not the problem but this kind of bizarre expectation.

Well let's face it the problems in America today are far deeper than simply who's in office right now.

We likely could remove every single person in Congress and the Presidency and have the same problems with whoever replaced them. The US has stuctural political problems at this point, we are fully disfunctional.

[The Alma Mater]

The 2020 US election has so far failed to materialise the changes that were expected.

Literally still counting the vote.

I submit that 'voting' is not the problem but this kind of bizarre expectation.

The outcome is going to be 50-50. Again.
You do not get anything meaningful from such elections. Change to alternative candidate voting and coalitions to actually represent the nation.

[Resilient Acceleration]

No, though that's because my interests don't align with US citizens, except probably in the topic of climate change.

[KITTENPUPPYLAND]

Unless you happen to live in a swing state, yes voting is very much pointless. Ideally, the popular vote would have actual meaning behind it. The electoral college system is outdated and in need for a remodel. Many voices are silenced because they live in a democratic or republican state. I understand some of the reasonings for the electoral college (farmers and such) but that doesn't take away from the fact that many opinions go unnoticed.

[Postauthoritarian America]

I'd be willing to try voting without the antiquated, useless Electoral College system under which progressive, or even slightly right of center candidates like Biden or Hillary, need to net somewhere between 3 and 5 million more votes nationwide to prevent reactionaries from beating the spread.

[The Emerald Legion]

I'd be willing to try voting without the antiquated, useless Electoral College system under which progressive, or even slightly right of center candidates like Biden or Hillary, need to net somewhere between 3 and 5 million more votes nationwide to prevent reactionaries from beating the spread.

Neither Biden or Hillary are right of center.

[The Federal Government of Iowa]

The amount of anti-American propaganda and lack of knowledge about the system displayed here is... startling.

[Arlenton]

We already had in the past years.

But none of them have led to the results- systematic changes- that we were hoping for. Only small concessions here and there were given to us.

Who is "we"?

I voted, and I don't want "systematic change".

[Dollystana]

currently, yep it definitely is. If you live in a safe state, your presidential candidate has virtually no chance of winning that state, and getting elected. House of Representatives and the Senate uses FPTP, so that is also somewhat pointless. If only the President was decided by the popular vote and PR was used instead.

If only.

[Saiwania]

Your side not winning outright isn't equivalent to voting being useless. My vote mattered in terms of helping Florida's electorals go to Trump.

[Resilient Acceleration]

Voting only matters in the ~10 swing states. In the other 40 states, including rural ones, voting is completely useless and ignored. What a great system.

[Arlenton]

Voting only matters in the ~10 swing states. In the other 40 states, voting is completely useless. What a great system.

It's almost like there's no such thing as Congressional districts...

[Resilient Acceleration]

Voting only matters in the ~10 swing states. In the other 40 states, voting is completely useless. What a great system.

It's almost like there's no such thing as Congressional districts...

Presidential voting, sorry. Then again, gerrymandering also renders voting completely useless and ignored in a lot of districts.

[Arlenton]

It's almost like there's no such thing as Congressional districts...

Presidential voting, sorry. Then again, gerrymandering also renders voting completely useless and ignored in a lot of districts.

Voting even in the most heavily gerrymandered districts isn't ignored. The incumbent is still at the mercy of the voters, but it is just very easy for them to win because the district is in general agreement and all they have to do is follow the consensus of the district. So it's not like votes are just tossed out, they still are counted, just the district is for the most part just all on the same page politically.

[Kexholm Karelia]

No, go out and vote!

Voting is how we conservatives elected Trump, so it could also be how you leftists could elect AOC or someone

[New Vedan]

Yea voting is largely meaningless in most states. But theres not really much that can be done about bbn it except keep voting.

[Jedi Council]

Of course not.

[Cordel One]

No, go out and vote!

Voting is how we conservatives elected Trump, so it could also be how you leftists could elect AOC or someone

AOC's a moderate, voting will do very little for our goals.

[Kowani]

No, go out and vote!

Voting is how we conservatives elected Trump, so it could also be how you leftists could elect AOC or someone

AOC's a moderate, voting will do very little for our goals.

Could you avoid screwing over any chance the left has of advancing a single policy goal for 2 minutes?

[Cordel One]

AOC's a moderate, voting will do very little for our goals.

Could you avoid screwing over any chance the left has of advancing a single policy goal for 2 minutes?

As if my constant complaining on a little-known browsergame forum is hindering leftist goals

[Kowani]

Could you avoid screwing over any chance the left has of advancing a single policy goal for 2 minutes?

As if my constant complaining on a little-known browsergame forum is hindering leftist goals

For a supposed leftist, you're not good at seeing interconnection of things.

[Juche Fingolia]

It is as useful as in any representative democracy. You can make your own conclusion of the country you live in. Take into account the amount of people who don't vote at all either voluntarily or involuntarily. Voting implies some sort of belief in the system working, because why would you even get out of your house on voting day just to vote if you didn't?

In my country, the plurality tends to not vote. I've voted in each one aside from the municipal elections for different parties. I'll vote for the next municipal ones though.

AOC's a moderate, voting will do very little for our goals.

Could you avoid screwing over any chance the left has of advancing a single policy goal for 2 minutes?

You really think they have that kinda influence? They're allowed to express their opinion about your liberal candidate as a socialist. They're a socialist, not an aocialist.

As if my constant complaining on a little-known browsergame forum is hindering leftist goals

For a supposed leftist, you're not good at seeing interconnection of things.

For a supposed leftist, you're really bad at seeing the proportions of influence a single post on an obscure internet forum has. They have a point, you know. Neither you nor them choose the people who enter office anyway until you make a system in which you do, in fact, choose that.

[Drongonia]

Lol yes, it's always been:

Vote for Neoliberal candidate #1

NO! Vote for Neoliberal candidate #2

Or, you could always vote for Useless third party!