why is a vote for an Independent a wasted vote?
354116
If you live in a swing state you should vote for the lesser of the two evils not the independent because in that case it is a wasted vote. If you are not in a swing state then your vote won't count anyway so go ahead and vote for an independent to send a messege. This is why many people were upset with the Bush-Gore 2000 election because it was so close but many people voted for the Green Candidate Ralf Nadar and people felt if the Nadar votes had went to Gore then he would have won and Bush wouldn't be in office. Hindsight is 20/20
328162
It would be nice, but no. These two parties are too powerful and have too much money for a third party to compete. They will try, as they have in the past, but they won't succeed. I don't like to believe that any vote is "wasted" but I do believe that voting for the third party just increases the chances of getting someone like Bush in office again. I find it apalling that anyone could still support this man or the Republican party after all they have done to damage our country.\n\nI have voted for a third party in the past, but as I've grown older I realize that it just did more damage than good, so I will remain a democrat. The only way I would vote for a 3rd party again would be if I saw (through the polls) that the person running clearly had a chance, and if they ran on a platform I could really support.\n\nBut don't ever not vote. Don't ever believe that your vote doesn't count. We have a responsibility to vote for the person we believe should be in office, even if you do vote for a third party candidate.
753676
What bothers me is the idea that a person can vote for Candidate A (the person listed on the ballot), and their party can instead choose to count that is if you had voted for Candidate B (the replacement).\n\nSeems to defeat the entire concept of voting, if the person you cast your vote (according to the ballot) for isn't the person who your vote is counted towards.
743224
INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE
712118
There are two important factors to weight against each other here, and whichever one holds more clout to you this election is the one you go with:\n\n1). When you vote a straight party ticket, the other party sees that it's a waste of time to advertise in an area, they don't next time. It also creates ideological boundaries that they know to follow next time.\n\n2). You're voting local to help your locale, and if you vote against the changes you want, you're not using your vote very effectively to that end.\n\nI usually vote one party anyway, but in any circumstance other than this one, I would know I could be flexible if I strongly wanted to. I voted a straight party ticket.
439786
Because of the ELectorial COllege, the popular vote obviously means nothing so why waste my time?????
452552
I will vote according to who I like...whether he is in my party or not.  If I don't like either candidate, I do a write in.  I cannot in good conscience vote for someone that I do not trust to hold that office.  That is why I did a write-in the past two presidential elections.
808120
this is called "the punish vote". You know both are trash candidates, but there´s a slight difference between them that makes you vote for the least repugnant. \nI did this in the past elections.\nBut i´m thinking that supporting the "splinter" party is not throwing our votes away, it´s a form of "manifesto" in which the "social power" that we as citizens have, demand more respectful and honorable candidates for a country, that at the end, leads the way through history.
941109
Ah, the perfect idea to acheive a change.  Why not vote for a third party just to show them exactly how many votes they lost?
820931
Usually, you have to choose between the 2 evils. It's nice to have others in the race but what usually happens is one of the non-democratic candidates take votes away from the democratic candidate.  Then the republican wins.
864586
You may a good point. Additionally, due to "possible" errors with the voting machines, it is be recommended by both parties to take a camera with you to the polling place. Make very sure that when you make your vote, that it registers the way you voted and take a photo for your own records.\nMost importantly, don't forget to vote.
772816
OK civics 101. Primaries are elections that determine who will have a party's nomination. If 5 dems are running for governor, there is a primary where the dems vote for who they want. That person gets the nomination. If there are 5 reps running for governor, there is a primary where the reps vote for who they want. That person gets the nomination. Independents are not allowed to vote in primaries except for judges and amendments/propositions/referendums. \n\nIn the general election TOMORROW. everyone votes for who they want regardless of party. If elections were won because people HAD to vote their party affiliation, then what would be the point of general elections?
123812
What's a mistake is that we let stupid people (such as yourself, for example) to vote.
732436
I used to think like that... I was registered as an independent in the 90s and voted for Perot in 92 and 96. I believed in voting for the person not the party.\n\nNow, I have since come to realize that is wasting a vote. \n\nI changed my mind after watching many many CSPAN legislative votes where the Republican party ALWAYS voted right down party lines. Meanwhile there were always some democrats that didn't do that.\n\nThis resulted in one party always getting what they wanted. Let me restate that... this resulted in ONE SMALL portion of the Republican party controlling it's entire party and getting what it wanted.\n\nBecause of this I reregistered democrat and have since decided to always vote down party lines no matter what. I mean really... look at what destruction having one party in power has done to our constitution, our freedoms and our country.\n\nReality is that younger (not by age) congressional members are controlled by long time leaders of their parties.
14686
Independent or Democratic
384311
Neither, I'm an independent who votes for the man or woman running for office, regardless of party affiliation. I've found this takes a little more time and research divining the candidates real political stance, but usually it's time well worth it, because you really know who you're voting for, not just the party some candidates seem to hide behind.
347816
You shouldnt ask people what they are going to vote for, then that would mean that your vote wouldnt be from you. You should vote your yourself, and its not like one vote is going to make the world of difference anyway.