Some thoughts befpre going to the polling booth tomorrow...

[sandwichwarrior]

One of the chief complaints made against the electoral college is that it encourages people to vote "tactically" rather than for a candidate that they genuinely like, out of fear of seeing their vote wasted

Comments

[chron_job]

> complaints made against the electoral college is that it encourages people to vote "tactically" rather than for a candidate that they genuinely like

[sandwichwarrior]

Un-ask the question. Its construction presumes that our opinions about candidates are boolean.

Are they not?

Either someone is worthy of holding a leadership position or they are not.

If they are vote for them, if they are not don't. It is not complicated. Or at least not as complicated as making that determination in the first place.

[chron_job]

> Are they not

[bord_du_rasoir]

Tactical Voting is more a consequence of First Past the Post voting, not the Electoral college.

Exactly. I came here to say that.

Well, actually, I'd say, tactical voting (of the kind you're referring to - voting for one of the two major parties, rather than for a 3rd party) is ENTIRELY a consequence of first past the post voting and has nothing at all whatsoever to do with the electoral college (no one makes that argument; you're clearly confused).

The electoral college actually encourages 3rd party voting in non-swing states (as a tactical measure).

If we really want to encourage multiple parties, we'd take measures to implement preferential voting like Australians use: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_system_of_Australia

[underlankers]

Bah. Humbug.

http://talk-politics.livejournal.com/1596385.html

[hikarugenji]

I think both extremes with respect to 3rd party candidates are flawed

[oportet]

If you say you're voting 3rd party, people will just give up on you.

Claim you're undecided, and you get every Romney and Obama supporters best sales pitch. Sure, it's annoying and interesting, but if you see it as more of the latter - you're in for a good time.

[sandwichwarrior]

I approve of playing one side against the other.

But as I said, there is only one poll that actually matters.

[kinvore]

The problem with the antiquated Electoral College system isn't because of tactical voting, it's because in most given states it basically means that up to half the votes don't count. We're supposed to be a democracy. And to those hair-splitters before you say this is a republic and not a democracy, let me say that a republic is a FORM of democracy.

Individual rights should trump states rights, especially when it comes to voting. More than anything else it's what makes this country a democracy.

Plus if we combine that with real campaign finance reform I bet we'll break the Democrat-Republican duopoly.