A Voting Option that Congress Enjoys: Why don't we?

It has been brought to my attention that members of Congress (Senators and Reps equally) have the options of not just "yes" or "no" votes during legislative sessions; but also simply "present" (As in: both ideas are Fails.)
.
google.com
(sorry if that link is weird...but it will go to the PowerPoint presentation that says so)
Why is it that we the voters do not have that same option as individuals (taxed with supposed representation)?
Why are our options believed to be simply: "vote for someone, or don't vote at all!"?

I just received a call from a Republican party campaign guy. Several weeks ago I changed my voter registration online (thanks to Taupen Disciple for that tip) from Unaffiliated to Republican, for the sole reason that if I had an opp to vote for Ron Paul I would get to attend the primaries.

It seems my state has recently decided to have a caucus. I was unaware of that, despite the fact that I receive the newsletters from one "Senator" and from one "Representative", both of whom are Repulicans.

The guy on the phone asked me who, from a list of candidates, I would vote for.
I said Ron Paul. And this guy was SO DELIGHTED that we chatted for awhile: he said I made his day, that he'd been hoping to find at least one Ron Paul supporter.
Turned out he knows my neighborhood; his girlfriend is canvassing the adjacent district (a quarter-mile west of me geographically). He was so enthusiastic, being also a Paul supporter. This is a Harley-Owner (as is my husband, with whom I was having a discussion about politics when this call rang in!); the area in which I live is probably majorly Dem, but there are those of us who are paying attention.
He said he could bring by yard signs, and asked me "how many"? I said "five." He's bringing bumper stickers, too.

So.
Supposing Ron doesn't make it to the ballot.
Do we not vote at all? (That was my supposition)

Or, should we ask the "system" to add in the privilege of saying "I was here, but these options are both fails. I choose neither" If 30% vote Repub and 30% vote Dem, then 40% say "None of the above", would it make any difference?

EDIT TO POINT OUT: This is how the "third party candidate" or "write-in" wins!

You know, if we had more options in the vote then maybe the vote could be stronger than it is. As it stands the popular vote means jack. Those who have the gold make the rules, and that's why the vote doesn't mean anything, anything at all.

If we had more meaning in the vote, then maybe more people would vote.

reply to post by EvilSadamClone


Exactly!!
Why are we not allowed to vote that the (two) options equally suck?

Thanks for responding, btw.

Okay, the guy just came by and gave me 5 signs and 6 bumper stickers....
he rapped on the door, and my husband went into "defense mode" with his "defense tools", while I answered the door.
The guy was so cool.....
we waved at his girlfriend....
so, yeah, I'm doing my part, guys!

reply to post by wildtimes


I think it's a tough choice.. write in Paul or vote 3rd party. Technically I'm a registered Libertarian.. so just out of loyalty I will probably vote for the Libertarian candidate and not write in Paul. For those that are not Libertarian I'd encourage you to vote 3rd party (hell I don't care if you vote for the Communist Party, just don't vote for the Two Party System!).

Personally I believe the elections are rigged. But I think that a 3rd party vote is harder to ignore than a write in.

Besides the fact that I feel the candidate is chosen for us, we do have a right to do just what you're stating. We can simply write in a name whether it be Ron Paul, Mickey Mouse, or even your own name. It's just that they brainwash you into believing that you've wasted your vote.

reply to post by wildtimes


I guess this allows their constituants the luxury of knowing their representative was at his post.
I have no need to let people know if I was at my post or not.

reply to post by Afterthought

Besides the fact that I feel the candidate is chosen for us, we do have a right to do just what you're stating.

Yeah, I know. Right?
The horrid part is that the candidate is chosen for us. The shadow govt has it already rigged, and that really really gets my ire going.
Years ago, my dad explained to me how the 3rd party strategy works.....the priimary two parties' would-be voters go for the 3rd party member, thus dividing the votes 1st or 2nd would've received, and so, the 3rd party wins.

I think I lost faith in the voting system when W won. It was so clearly rigged.
I had already given up the hope that Dr P could win, but today made me feel a tiny bit more hopeful. (Even though the pizza delivery guy refused to take the bumper sticker I offered to him).....
Hope springs eternal!!

reply to post by g146541

I have no need to let people know if I was at my post or not.

But is it not a message to the "candidates" if you say I was here, and participated, and you both don't deserve my vote.....
I dunno. The electoral college is all that matters (= not a democracy, but a republic).....
but I still hold out hope that we, the individuals, can make a difference with our votes.

Slim, but not none.

reply to post by wildtimes

I think I lost faith in the voting system when W won.

You're right about that.
When he was running for his second term, Virginia started using electronic polls. My sister tried to vote for Kerry, but it gave a vote for Bush. She called the person over to reset the machine. She tried to vote for Kerry again, and it made a vote for Bush. Third time was the charm, but I'm wondering how many other people experienced this "flub".

reply to post by Afterthought

I'm wondering how many other people experienced this "flub".

And considering the current "ballot voter fraud" expose going on now....
and that there is definitely (in my opinion) a shadow government orchestrating the entire thing....
is it worth it to even go to the polls?

I don't understand why I was in my 50s before I was properly educated about how it works....as a youth, a young parent, a working adult, I always believed my vote meant something. Then I learned how the electoral college works....
even in grad school I didn't quite get it.
Now I do.

Why oh why do people say this country (The USA) is a democracy? It isn't! If not an oligarchy, it is at its base a republic.

reply to post by wildtimes


I know. It's very convoluted. As I see it now, the politicians and shadow leaders are trying very hard to keep the fantasy alive. They realize that many people are waking up to how it's all orchestrated. Soon, they'll try to make it so we can all vote online, but who's really going to trust it after all the hacking and fraud we're seeing now?
They probably played their cards too late and are going to pay for their misjudgement. At least I hope so.

reply to post by Afterthought

They probably played their cards too late and are going to pay for their misjudgement. At least I hope so

Totally with ya on that, bro (sis?).
Those cards, and the entire house they've been used to build, is going to collapse....
I mean, is collapsing....
flutter, flutter, flutter!

reply to post by wildtimes


You do have this option -- just go vote and write in "Present -- You all are terrible". Spread that statement around to others that are not happy with the selections available and get the word out to the media that such a write-in is gaining momentum. There you go, you have your option that you supposedly do not enjoy.

reply to post by wildtimes


Lawmakers make laws. How many laws are there? I don't know. It's not like they are required learning in schools. Am I gonna learn all the laws within my lifetime? Nope. Tried to Google it, but the internet doesn't know either.

Lawmakers make laws. I am not well enough informed to make an informed decision. At least I am honest with myself about that.

Lawmakers make laws.

Does your favorite candidate know the number of existing laws, what they all are, and what they all mean when held in context with eachother simultaneously?

If we locked up all the existing lawmakers and did not let them out until they collectively wrote down all the existing laws word for word, do you honestly think they would live long enough to accomplish the task?

Lawmakers make laws.

reply to post by wildtimes


[color=ADD8E6] ★ & Flagged, btw.