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Lilqueendaisy A chill feller from Not Earth Since: Jun, 2011 Relationship Status: In love with love
A chill feller
#486401: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:18:19 PM

... I feel like shit now for not knowing better now...

LOVE IS STORED IN THE AXOLOTL!
WonderSquid Since: May, 2012
#486402: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:18:26 PM

Something like that I guess.

And then when the time comes for the presidential election, people vote, and then there are representatives in each state (based off population) that ideally vote for whoever won the popular vote in that state, but they don't have to. In theory, one guy could run for president and win the popular vote by 100%, and then lose the election because every single delegate just wanted to vote for the other guy and nuts to what all the voters say.

This has actually happened a couple times — most recently with Al Gore, who won the popular vote but lost on electoral votes. So instead we got President Bush.

HilarityEnsues Since: Sep, 2009
#486403: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:19:07 PM

we're so committed to doing everything in an obtuse and shitty way just to differentiate ourselves from the rest of the world that even our system of measuring things is fucked up, what do you expect

and controversial opinion time - honestly i can kind of empathize with people who don't vote, even though im not willing to go that far

i mean sure its easy to just assume those people are lazy, and plenty of them probably are

but i feel like a greater understanding of american politics just makes you feel more useless and disenfranchised and just wonder what's the point of it all

ramuf Electric Heart from the Shining Throne Since: Jan, 2013
Electric Heart
#486404: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:20:17 PM

Actually spaz.

Delegates usually have to vote according to their state by law.

Not doing so is being a so-called faithless elector and is outlawed in a number of states.

Pretty sure 2000 had nothing to do with faithless electors. It was vote-counting itself, not the delegates.

edited 21st Mar '16 6:20:54 PM by ramuf

Azure Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Fist from The World Since: Nov, 2012 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Fist
#486405: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:20:22 PM

The America govenment works like this.

People are put in charge.

Those people are given sticks, and told that when some one is not doing their job they hit them the stick.

So everyone goes around in a circle hitting people with sticks except no one does their job because they're to busy doing the stick thing because they don't LIKE how the other person is doing their job.

And only rarely does something get done.

PM box is Closed, Indefinitely Friend Code: 3368-4181-6850
WonderSquid Since: May, 2012
#486406: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:21:05 PM

Yes but

"usually" and not all states.

Which is why what happened has happened.

Fucking Florida.

ramuf Electric Heart from the Shining Throne Since: Jan, 2013
Electric Heart
#486407: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:21:48 PM

Yeah no that's inaccurate, pessimistic, and overly reductive.

Florida outlaws faithless electors.

So no, that's not what happened.

edited 21st Mar '16 6:22:19 PM by ramuf

SR3NORMANDY Problem Child from N/A - In constant flux Since: Jul, 2012
Problem Child
#486408: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:22:36 PM

"Elections in Australia use a full-preference instant-runoff voting system in single member seats for the lower house, the House of Representatives, and a single transferable vote system of proportional representation in the upper house, the Senate. Voting is compulsory."

There, Wikipedia just explained our system in two sentences.

What if there’s no better word than just not saying anything?
WonderSquid Since: May, 2012
#486409: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:23:36 PM

It's not inaccurate though because it has literally happened at least twice to my knowledge.

I'm not saying it's gonna happen again this year but it's far from impossible.

actually it'd be nice if it happened this year because i have a nasty feeling a lot of people are gonna be voting for trump

edited 21st Mar '16 6:24:15 PM by WonderSquid

Boxen whatever he can Since: Jan, 2013
whatever he can
#486410: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:23:53 PM

ramuf: i never said they did

norm: why can't we be as progressive as australia

dead devotion
ramuf Electric Heart from the Shining Throne Since: Jan, 2013
Electric Heart
#486411: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:25:06 PM

Faithless electors are extremely rare.

It almost never happens.

And whenever it does, it's usually one lone person. They don't sway elections.

SR3NORMANDY Problem Child from N/A - In constant flux Since: Jul, 2012
Problem Child
#486412: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:25:18 PM

Do you guys in America use the preferential system where you mark everyone down with numbers, 1 being the MP you want most and the highest number being your least favourite MP?

What if there’s no better word than just not saying anything?
Trip Since: Mar, 2012
#486413: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:25:20 PM

theres only one solution

i am going to defeat every american person ever with a real gun

Lilqueendaisy A chill feller from Not Earth Since: Jun, 2011 Relationship Status: In love with love
A chill feller
#486414: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:25:55 PM

Oh yeah I read something like that Hil.

... Now I feel worse.

LOVE IS STORED IN THE AXOLOTL!
Boxen whatever he can Since: Jan, 2013
whatever he can
#486415: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:26:02 PM

norm: i think it's winner take all voting across the board with a few exceptions

dead devotion
ramuf Electric Heart from the Shining Throne Since: Jan, 2013
Electric Heart
#486416: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:26:44 PM

The US uses FPTP. First past the post.

Whoever gets the most votes wins, and you only pick one person for the office.

HilarityEnsues Since: Sep, 2009
#486417: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:27:22 PM

yes, why can't we be as progressive as the nation that once elected sir tony abbott

...i say completely unironically

edited 21st Mar '16 6:28:45 PM by HilarityEnsues

SR3NORMANDY Problem Child from N/A - In constant flux Since: Jul, 2012
Problem Child
#486418: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:27:41 PM

Ew. That system only tells you who the people think should absolutely get in, with no wriggle room for more nuanced opinions.

[up]Abbott got in because my preferred party of Labour was being legitimately shitty and probably deserved it a bit.

edited 21st Mar '16 6:28:28 PM by SR3NORMANDY

What if there’s no better word than just not saying anything?
Azure Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Fist from The World Since: Nov, 2012 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Fist
#486419: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:27:45 PM

Brevity bitch, get with it.

PM box is Closed, Indefinitely Friend Code: 3368-4181-6850
Boxen whatever he can Since: Jan, 2013
whatever he can
#486420: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:28:04 PM

is not representative because who needs that

dead devotion
ramuf Electric Heart from the Shining Throne Since: Jan, 2013
Electric Heart
#486421: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:28:46 PM

@Norm: Yeah it's horrible but I don't think we're gettting STV anytime soon.

@Jam: Brevity is not wit when it's wildly inaccurate.

Lilqueendaisy A chill feller from Not Earth Since: Jun, 2011 Relationship Status: In love with love
A chill feller
#486422: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:29:31 PM

What I am learning so far is presidential debates don't care and I think I'll just vote for legislators and representatives and congress stuff from now on.

My brain feels chopped up!!

LOVE IS STORED IN THE AXOLOTL!
Azure Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Fist from The World Since: Nov, 2012 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Fist
#486423: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:31:37 PM

You have not paid attention the last eight years I see.

PM box is Closed, Indefinitely Friend Code: 3368-4181-6850
ramuf Electric Heart from the Shining Throne Since: Jan, 2013
Electric Heart
#486424: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:31:45 PM

Just because one election may or may not be more important than another doesn't mean you shouldn't vote in all of them.

Both presidential and Congressional elections are important. You should vote in both of them.

The last eight years have not been characterized by legislators beating each other with sticks. Legislation has been passed.

Things might have been rocky, but the government is still functioning.

Don't get hyperbolic.

edited 21st Mar '16 6:33:33 PM by ramuf

SR3NORMANDY Problem Child from N/A - In constant flux Since: Jul, 2012
Problem Child
#486425: Mar 21st 2016 at 6:32:57 PM

I don't think there's ever a stage where choosing not to vote is a good thing. If there's an election or a referendum in your government and your opinion can sway it, vote. If only for the civic duty.

What if there’s no better word than just not saying anything?

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