Voting this midterm?

[*\Conan/*]

One week before midterm elections. I would like to ask you all a couple of questions to help me understand how some poeple vote and to even extend that to all the different countrymen we have here- how do you base your vote.

1.Do you vote and if so on a regular basis
2.Do you look at the National picture or your local needs?
3.Do you vote for the encumbant that has done ok or go with "the new guy" who has fresh legs and new ideas?
4.Do you research your politicians past voting record or go by word of mouth?
5.Do you pay attension to all the negative media or research your politician?
6.Do you vote picking the better of the two jsut to say you voted for someone even thow your not happy with it?

And if you could help me understand how voting is done in your country I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

[Ronn_Bman]

1.) Every time the polls are open.

2.) I balance the two.

3.) That all depends on what they stand for.

4.) I try to follow what's going on, and read up on issues, but I have fallen prey to word of mouth.

5.) I dislike negative ads, but occassionally they bring out a truth that needs exposing. Following what's happening with government beyond election time is the simplest way of being informed.

6.) IF you mean, do I vote for a candidate I'm not a huge supporter of because he is the best choice amongst those running, then yes.

Locally, we have the fill in the circle ballets that are read by machines. No hanging chads in NC...lol. After the 2000, NC passed laws that do not allow the voting methods which caused controversy in Florida.

[Spelca]

Well, in Slovenia we have three kinds of elections; presidential, for the parliament, and local ones. The presidential elections are every 5 years. We have the most 2 voting rounds here. If no candidate gets an absolute majority of votes in the first round, then we have a second round of voting, where the two people with the most votes in the first round are voted for.
The parliament elections are every 4 years (usually). The voting system there is proportional. I think it's the same with the local elections... [img]smile.gif[/img]

1.Do you vote and if so on a regular basis
Yep, I've voted on all the elections I could vote on so far.
2.Do you look at the National picture or your local needs?
Well, I basically look at the way I'd like my country to go. And then I chose the party/person that fits.
3.Do you vote for the encumbant that has done ok or go with "the new guy" who has fresh legs and new ideas?
I look at which party 'put them forward' and of course what their stands on issues are. I don't mind voting for somebody with new ideas, as long as I like them. [img]tongue.gif[/img] Certain stands on issues are quite important to me so I usually look at those first. And then I decide on the rest of them. [img]smile.gif[/img]
4.Do you research your politicians past voting record or go by word of mouth?
Do you mean how people voted for this person the last time? Well, I listen to what people say, what I read in the newspaper and I research it too. [img]smile.gif[/img]
5.Do you pay attension to all the negative media or research your politician?
I do both. [img]smile.gif[/img]
6.Do you vote picking the better of the two jsut to say you voted for someone even thow your not happy with it?
Actually I'm in this dilemma now. We have the presidential elections soon and I can't decide between two of the candidates. I'm not completely satisfied with neither of them, but I will still vote for one. I just have to decide which I think it's better - I have to research them a bit more. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I hope this helped.

[Neuromancer]

1.Do you vote and if so on a regular basis
Yes (if my cell phone doesn't beep early in the morning and there's my company phone number on display - that means a) it's sunday b) disturbing me with work matters on sunday is a clear sign of a desperate need [img]smile.gif[/img] )
2.Do you look at the National picture or your local needs?
Usually the big picture, but if this strongly contradicts with my selfish little "local" needs then i certainly take the decision to the review board.
3.Do you vote for the encumbant that has done ok or go with "the new guy" who has fresh legs and new ideas?
There is a roman proverb (misquoted,i'm sure) : "Be wary of poor politicians". You might be a new guy with fresh ideas, but let's see what you accomplished so far in other fields.
4.Do you research your politicians past voting record or go by word of mouth?
No word of mouth. Usually I build myself an overall picture from different media coverages and past accomplishments (again [img]smile.gif[/img] ).
5.Do you pay attension to all the negative media or research your politician?
It depends in what kind of publication it appears. I give some papers more credibility than others. Does that qualify for research too ? [img]smile.gif[/img]
6.Do you vote picking the better of the two jsut to say you voted for someone even thow your not happy with it?
When in doubt, I go for the lesser of two evils.

Originally posted by Spelca: Actually I'm in this dilemma now. We have the presidential elections soon and I can't decide between two of the candidates. I'm not completely satisfied with neither of them, but I will still vote for one. I just have to decide which I think it's better - I have to research them a bit more. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Don't you think having a cute dog instead of first lady is a novelty , if not a great improvement over current situation (ah, my evil tongue [img]smile.gif[/img] ). And (new) Artur would get more attention than the first lady anyway (i'm a dog lover - does it show ? [img]smile.gif[/img] )

Neuro

[Spelca]

Originally posted by Neuromancer: Don't you think having a cute dog instead of first lady is a novelty , if not a great improvement over current situation (ah, my evil tongue [img]smile.gif[/img] ). And (new) Artur would get more attention than the first lady anyway (i'm a dog lover - does it show ? [img]smile.gif[/img] ) Neuro

Oooh, how did you know who I am chosing between? [img]tongue.gif[/img] Haha, I guess it's not hard to guess.

[ 10-29-2002, 08:17 AM: Message edited by: Spelca ]

[Neuromancer]

LOL, right.
It's the other choice that would be much harder to guess, so I won't even try [img]smile.gif[/img]

Neuro

[Spelca]

Oooh, yea, Neuromancer, why only first lady? Maybe we'll have a first man this year. So we really have to chose between: first lady, first man, or first dog.
Edit: Hmm, though I'm not sure she's married. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[ 10-29-2002, 08:25 AM: Message edited by: Spelca ]

Originally posted by *\Conan/*: One week before midterm elections. I would like to ask you all a couple of questions to help me understand how some poeple vote and to even extend that to all the different countrymen we have here- how do you base your vote. 1.Do you vote and if so on a regular basis yes, though I do occasionally miss a primary 2.Do you look at the National picture or your local needs? I try to look at the whole picture. Fortunately my local needs are not usually mutually exclusive with the Natioanl interest. 3.Do you vote for the encumbant that has done ok or go with "the new guy" who has fresh legs and new ideas? I vote on the issues, I don't care about incumbancy or new blood. It is all about issues. Most recently I have been voting Republican in nationals, and Libertarian, Idependant or Republican in the locals. 4.Do you research your politicians past voting record or go by word of mouth? Yew betchya, In other words, I pay attention to what the guys history is (but only for the major offices, for really minor offices, I vote for who ever is with my Major office holder.) 5.Do you pay attension to all the negative media or research your politician? Nope, congressional voting records are accessible via the web. I also prefer statistics and hard numbers vs the rhetoric of the press and campaign staffs. 6.Do you vote picking the better of the two jsut to say you voted for someone even thow your not happy with it? Yes, because with the way the political system works, not voting accomplishes absolutley nothing, except to give you no right to complain. And if you could help me understand how voting is done in your country I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

There is no single method for voting here in the US. Every voting district is responsible for getting the vots talleyd but there are many systems used.

[ 10-29-2002, 01:48 PM: Message edited by: MagiK ]

[Neuromancer]

Originally posted by Spelca: Oooh, yea, Neuromancer, why only first lady? Maybe we'll have a first man this year. So we really have to chose between: first lady, first man, or first dog. Edit: Hmm, though I'm not sure she's married. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Neither am I.
But (if you listen to certain type of rumors ) , we could get a first man in any case [img]smile.gif[/img]

btw, I think *\Conan/* will kick our collective slovenian b****s for spoiling his thread [img]smile.gif[/img]

Neuro

[Attalus]

I'll quote the B-Mann, I vote every time the polls open. Usually I vote the straight Republican ticket, but occasionally, I'll vote for a Dem. This year I'll vote for the Dem for county judge and sherriff, both, because I know them personally and think they are the better candidates, but other than that, Republican all the way.