• theredknight@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      He’s technically correct. As long as the electoral college exists, many peoples votes effectively don’t matter because that state will always go one way. Once that occurs, the opposing votes are effectively erased.

      • Akasazh@feddit.nl
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        1 year ago

        Afaik the American special the electoral college votes for whatever the majority vote of that State is. So votes do count, towards that majority.

        If everybody assumes that one party will win and doesn’t go to vote it will never change, if everybody who thinks that their vote doesn’t matter would do that, a change can happen.

    • Akasazh@feddit.nl
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      1 year ago

      ‘my vote doesn’t matter’ is a self fulfilling prophecy. The more people actually believe that, the more they won’t go and vote and then indeed it doesn’t matter.

      However if all the people that think that their vote doesn’t matter actually do go and vote, they would be a significant demographic.

      It might not make a difference straight away, but thinks only happen if you invest in them.

      Same thing with sports. If you support one team, it makes you more invested in the game itself. Your team might not win every time, but if you care only about winning you’re not a true supporter. It will make it easy more satisfying if you do win, though. And one day you will.

      • GoodbyeBlueMonday@startrek.website
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        1 year ago

        To add to this: if the opposition party consistently shows up to vote, the dominant party gets nervous, and has to focus on the chance of losing. Not showing up means they’ve truly won.

        It also shows the opposition party that they can and should invest the time in supporting that area, because there’s people who haven’t given up yet.

        Also, the president isn’t the only person on the ballot, and small races are where more radical third parties actually have a shot!

    • Beetschnapps@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Congressional, state and local elections are held at the same time on the same damn ballot and absolutely matter. They absolutely will affect you and congress is arguably just as important as potus. It’s called being engaged, instead just complaining while letting others take the wheel.

      But I guess whining counts as participation…