1. SPS Accounts:
    Do you find yourself coming back time after time? Do you appreciate the ongoing hard work to keep this community focused and successful in its mission? Please consider supporting us by upgrading to an SPS Account. Besides the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting a good cause, you'll also get a significant number of ever-expanding perks and benefits on the site and the forums. Click here to find out more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
You are currently viewing Boards o' Magick as a guest, but you can register an account here. Registration is fast, easy and free. Once registered you will have access to search the forums, create and respond to threads, PM other members, upload screenshots and access many other features unavailable to guests.

BoM cultivates a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. We have been aiming for quality over quantity with our forums from their inception, and believe that this distinction is truly tangible and valued by our members. We'd love to have you join us today!

(If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you've forgotten your username or password, click here.)

Leaving the ballot blank for governor

Discussion in 'Alley of Lingering Sighs' started by SlickRCBD, Sep 27, 2014.

  1. SlickRCBD Gems: 29/31
    Latest gem: Glittering Beljuril


    Resourceful Adored Veteran

    Joined:
    May 7, 2005
    Messages:
    3,017
    Media:
    47
    Likes Received:
    173
    Gender:
    Male
    Election time for Illinois governor is coming up in a little over a month. However, I don't like either of the candidates on the ballot. One I didn't vote for the first time, and haven't been too happy with his record. The other I just don't like some of his platforms.

    I've been told I should vote so my voice gets heard, but I don't like either of the candidates, and I don't think there's a third option on the ballot for governor (I haven't heard anything about a Green party candidate and they rarely do put one out).

    Would it be such a bad thing to leave the box for governor blank the way I do for the judges and just vote for the local elections since there is no "none of the above" option?
     
  2. dmc

    dmc Speak softly and carry a big briefcase Staff Member Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2001
    Messages:
    8,731
    Media:
    88
    Likes Received:
    379
    Gender:
    Male
    I don't see why it would be "bad" per se, but it's not like you are going to be sending a message to anyone as I cannot imagine that anyone tracks the stats regarding where people do endeavor to vote but deliberately do not vote on a certain office.
     
  3. Keneth Gems: 29/31
    Latest gem: Glittering Beljuril


    ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2002
    Messages:
    3,108
    Media:
    20
    Likes Received:
    224
    Gender:
    Male
    Ah, politics: Giving people the illusion that things are gonna change for the better any day now since ancient Greece.

    This is why I haven't voted anyone for any office my whole life. I've never liked any of the candidates, and the ones I might potentially like, aren't running.

    And no, no one cares about the empty votes. :shake:
     
  4. T2Bruno

    T2Bruno The only source of knowledge is experience Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Nov 12, 2004
    Messages:
    9,766
    Media:
    15
    Likes Received:
    440
    Gender:
    Male
    Sometimes voting is choosing the lesser of two evils....
     
  5. SlickRCBD Gems: 29/31
    Latest gem: Glittering Beljuril


    Resourceful Adored Veteran

    Joined:
    May 7, 2005
    Messages:
    3,017
    Media:
    47
    Likes Received:
    173
    Gender:
    Male
    Reminds me of a joke campaign from some years back:
    "Cthulhu for President. Why vote for a lesser evil?"

    Still, I was just talking with my mother while doing the yardwork and laundry for her. She hurt her knee back in June and can't go downstairs to do it nor work the lawnmower. She was saying it was my duty to vote, and that I need to do so in order to make my voice heard.
    I voted in the primary, my candidate did not make it onto the ballot, and I don't like either of the choices for governor that did make it. Hence why I want to leave it blank.
     
  6. joacqin

    joacqin Confused Jerk Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2001
    Messages:
    6,117
    Media:
    2
    Likes Received:
    121
    I would say voting is more or less always about choosing the lesser of the two evils. Do not expect to find candidates or parties that just click with you. Find an issue you really care about and figure out which candidate fits the closest. The candidates are never equally bad for everyone no matter how bad they are. One is always worse for you.
     
  7. SlickRCBD Gems: 29/31
    Latest gem: Glittering Beljuril


    Resourceful Adored Veteran

    Joined:
    May 7, 2005
    Messages:
    3,017
    Media:
    47
    Likes Received:
    173
    Gender:
    Male
    I tend to disagree, there have been times when the candidates were equally bad or good, just in different ways. Always different ways.

    I've actually flipped a coin a few times picking a few candidates for that reason, but never at a level above State Congressman. I'm trying to remember if it was the election before last, or the one before that where I did just that for States' Attorney.
    I look at the candidates, and they both have pros and cons, and even making a list, I can't figure out which one to pick as they are good and bad in different ways.
     
  8. pplr Gems: 18/31
    Latest gem: Horn Coral


    Veteran

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2008
    Messages:
    1,032
    Media:
    2
    Likes Received:
    35
    You can write someone or something in.

    I just was looking at the race for governor for Illinois and there are the 2 main candidates and a Libertarian.

    There were both Green and Constitutional party candidates for gov but they were removed from the ballot.


    Now on the 1 hand this is a close race so your vote for the major candidate matters more.

    On the other hand if you really don't like'm then write in or vote 3rd party.

    I'm not a libertarian and when I speak to one they either know a lot and really really impress me or know, at best, a bunch of propaganda and aren't inspiring.

    One thing I can say is dems are going to hold the legislature there. I, from WI, would happily trade you governors as mine is corrupt enough to fit right in with Illinois politics and yours is from the party that hasn't gerrymandered this (not your's but WI) state's Assembly into its back pocket to the point were it tends not to matter who people vote for. Loss for small d democracy in both our states.

    If you ever get curious I recommend www.politics1.com as a site to look at to see who candidates are. It often has links to their websites.
     
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2014
  9. SlickRCBD Gems: 29/31
    Latest gem: Glittering Beljuril


    Resourceful Adored Veteran

    Joined:
    May 7, 2005
    Messages:
    3,017
    Media:
    47
    Likes Received:
    173
    Gender:
    Male
    Hmm, that Chad Grimm sounds interesting on his page, except for the part about pensions. There are a few teachers with ridiculous pensions because of the way they moved around, but most only get a normal pension.

    He wants to phase out all government employee pensions, including teachers.

    What I'd like to see is the politicians cut their own pensions and pay first.
    Before they ask the teachers to take pay cuts and pension cuts, cut their own pay & pension down to the level the average teacher who has served the same amount of time would get. Not the extremes at the end of a 40 year career, but that of a teacher that has served one district for ten years, and not at Nu Trier or another North Shore school but the average school.

    ---------- Added 0 hours, 7 minutes and 34 seconds later... ----------

    Thanks for the link, if only there was an easy site for determine who I can vote for well in advance in precinct 69 of Arlington Heights. I tend to forget the district numbers.

    The Cook County page typically doesn't make the sample ballots available until a couple weeks before the elections. Looks like they are early this year, as they just updated. When I made this post it was still showing the primary.
    http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/elections/Pages/default.aspx

    ---------- Added 4 hours, 27 minutes and 43 seconds later... ----------

    Oh, it also fails to list local candidates, such as village trustees.
     
Sorcerer's Place is a project run entirely by fans and for fans. Maintaining Sorcerer's Place and a stable environment for all our hosted sites requires a substantial amount of our time and funds on a regular basis, so please consider supporting us to keep the site up & running smoothly. Thank you!

Sorcerers.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.