Alrite people, listen up!!

[ImNotNormal]

Please dont move this, I speak to everyone on this forum and its important.


I dont care who you vote for, just VOTE! 250 million people are able to vote and only 120 million people actually vote!

Guys, rather than worry about stupid sh!t like when the next time ur getting drunk is or meeting a hot girl whos gonna eventually give you a headache, worry about your country!

Girls, rather than worry about when the next time you're gonna meet a hot guy and eventually get cheated and used by, like the last 20 guys u dated is, or when the next time you get to act like a skank is and then wonder why all guys are jerks, VOTE! For once, think about the future of your country, and not just your social life. Think about productive things. I realize most people think life is all about now and dont realize there is a "10 years from now", but there is.

And chances are the people you chill with now who are only your friends til they screw you over, you wont even see them in 10 years, so dont let them dictate your life. Just go to the polls and vote! Lets have a record turn out! I know the truth hurts and denial isnt just a river in Egypt, but for once think with your brain and use common sense, and do the right thing! For once, dont forget your values and morals when you're out enjoying life, just tell your friends "no i gotta vote today".

I understand your friends wont accept you if you dont party and be stupid like them, but thats their problem. VOTE!

Girls, you always have wednesday to go to a club dressed like a prostitute and bend over in front of some drunk idiot then wonder why all guys are jerks,

Guys, u always have wednesday to pick up some drunk girl whos eventually gonna accuse you of rape and spread rumors about you.

Dont deny it! VOTE!

 

[min0 lee]

Pay me.

 

[bio-chem]

at least after another day of this we can get rid of this ass clown

 

[maniclion]

Please dont move this, I speak to everyone on this forum and its important.


I dont care who you vote for, just VOTE! 250 million people are able to vote and only 120 million people actually vote!

Guys, rather than worry about stupid sh!t like when the next time ur getting drunk is or meeting a hot girl whos gonna eventually give you a headache, worry about your country!

Girls, rather than worry about when the next time you're gonna meet a hot guy and eventually get cheated and used by, like the last 20 guys u dated is, or when the next time you get to act like a skank is and then wonder why all guys are jerks, VOTE! For once, think about the future of your country, and not just your social life. Think about productive things. I realize most people think life is all about now and dont realize there is a "10 years from now", but there is.

And chances are the people you chill with now who are only your friends til they screw you over, you wont even see them in 10 years, so dont let them dictate your life. Just go to the polls and vote! Lets have a record turn out! I know the truth hurts and denial isnt just a river in Egypt, but for once think with your brain and use common sense, and do the right thing! For once, dont forget your values and morals when you're out enjoying life, just tell your friends "no i gotta vote today".

I understand your friends wont accept you if you dont party and be stupid like them, but thats their problem. VOTE!

Girls, you always have wednesday to go to a club dressed like a prostitute and bend over in front of some drunk idiot then wonder why all guys are jerks,

Guys, u always have wednesday to pick up some drunk girl whos eventually gonna accuse you of rape and spread rumors about you.

Dont deny it! VOTE!

I don't think I want mental midgets from Joisey with orange skin and gelled up porcupined skulls who's sole mission in life is to hook-up each night to be even one modicum of a factor in deciding the future of my country. These are the type who's television probably never deviates from MTV and VH1 and probably aren't even aware that there is an election let alone who the current President is......These ar ethe types who thing Mystery should be the President....it's good to get people to vote but it's better to encourage learning a bit about what we are voting for than to just send people blindly into the booth's with a vague understanding of who the choices are.....

 

[Splash Log]

...

 

[busyLivin]

I think I have finally decided who I'm voting for.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

I don't think the unedumacated should vote, "alrite?"

 

[min0 lee]

I think I have finally decided who I'm voting for.

Obama?

 

[maniclion]

By the by, voting takes place during the day so it really won't cut into anyones party time, in fact you can go out tonight and party to the early morn and then stop by your polling location on your way home before crashing all day.... Hell a lot of businesses will let you come in late on election day or not even come in at all.....Ive gotten the morning voter slot so I get to sleep in and then go vote.....yeah!!!!

 

[soxmuscle]

Make the lines not take five hours and that figure would change.

 

[Dale Mabry]

Make the lines not take five hours and that figure would change.

I just voted, it took 5 minutes

 

[busyLivin]

I just voted.. pretty long line where there was never one before. Took a half-hour: not too long, but there was never a wait before.

 

[maniclion]

I voted it took 45 minutes but there are an ass load of old people who all appeared to have been at the polling place since 5am this morning.... I really don't want to grow old if the highlight of my day is waking up before the sun when I don't even have to and waiting in a line.....

 

[mcguin]

can someone explain to me the rationale behind the electoral college?

 

[bio-chem]

can someone explain to me the rationale behind the electoral college?

nope, there may have been one at one time, but for todays time I can't think of a reason for it

 

[min0 lee]

can someone explain to me the rationale behind the electoral college?

Introduction to How the Electoral College Works

Image Gallery: the 43 U.S. Presidents


Eric Draper/White House/Getty Images
Although Al Gore won the popular vote, George W. Bush became president because he was awarded the majority of Electoral College votes. See more president pictures.
Every four years, on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November, millions of U.S. citizens go to local voting booths to elect, among other officials, the next president and vice president of their country. Their votes will be recorded and counted, and winners will be declared.

But the results of the popular vote are not guaranteed to stand because the Electoral College has not cast its vote.

For some of you, this might be a bit shocking. You could be thinking, "Whoa, seriously?" But for many of you, you're probably immediately thinking of the 2000 U.S. presidential election -- Gore won the popular vote (more Americans voted for him), but Bush actually won the presidency, because he was awarded the majority of the votes in the Electoral College.
In this article, we'll explain how this interesting system works. How is it that a candidate could win more votes overall and yet not be elected? What would happen if there were a tie in the Electoral College? Who then would elect the president?

You will find out about the past elections that weren't decided on Election Day but weeks later, when the Electoral College met, and some that weren't decided until months later. You'll also learn about the strange election of the first son of a former president to win the presidency.

History of the Electoral College

The Electoral College is a controversial mechanism of presidential elections that was created by the framers of the U.S. Constitution as a compromise for the presidential election process. At the time, some politicians believed a purely popular election was too reckless, while others objected to giving Congress the power to select the president. The compromise was to set up an Electoral College system that allowed voters to vote for electors, who would then cast their votes for candidates, a system described in Article II, section 1 of the Constitution.

 

[min0 lee]

Each state has a number of electors equal to the number of its U.S. senators (2 in each state) plus the number of its U.S. representatives, which varies according to the state's population. Currently, the Electoral College includes 538 electors, 535 for the total number of congressional members, and three who represent Washington, D.C., as allowed by the 23rd Amendment. On the Monday following the second Wednesday in December, the electors of each state meet in their respective state capitals to officially cast their votes for president and vice president. These votes are then sealed and sent to the president of the Senate, who on Jan. 6 opens and reads the votes in the presence of both houses of Congress. The winner is sworn into office at noon Jan. 20. Most of the time, electors cast their votes for the candidate who has received the most votes in that particular state. However, there have been times when electors have voted contrary to the people's decision, which is entirely legal.

Selecting Electors

If you're wondering how someone becomes an elector, it turns out it's not the exact same process across the board. It can actually differ from state to state. In general, though, the two most common ways are:
The elector is nominated by his or her state party committee (perhaps to reward many years of service to the party).
The elector "campaigns" for a spot and the decision is made during a vote held at the state's party convention.
There's the how, but what about the "what" -- as in, "What are the required qualifications of an elector?" There really aren't any. According to the National Archives and Records (NARA) Web site, "the U.S. Constitution contains very few provisions relating to the qualifications of electors." While the constitution doesn't dictate what an elector should know or be able to do, it does suggest who or what an elector cannot be:
He or she cannot be a Representative or Senator
He or she cannot be a high-ranking U.S. official in a position of "trust or profit"
He or she cannot be someone who has "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" against the U.S.
Now, what about the "who?" Who is it that gets nominated or voted in and assigned to the post?
Usually, electors are people who are highly politically active in their party (be it Democrat, Green, Libertarian, Republican ...) or connected somehow to the political arena, such as: activists, party leaders, elected officials of the state and even people who have ties (political and/or personal) to the Presidential candidates, themselves.

So, we've covered the how, what and who -- but that's not all! There's still faithless electors, winner-takes-all and the district system to consider...

Electoral College Voting

"Faithless Electors"
It turns out there is no federal law that requires an elector to vote according to their pledge (to their respective party). And so, more than a few electors have cast their votes without following the popular vote or their party. These electors are called "faithless electors."
In response to these faithless electors' actions, several states have created laws to enforce an elector's pledge to his or her party vote or the popular vote. Some states even go the extra step to assess a misdemeanor charge and a fine to such actions. For example, the state of North Carolina charges a fine of $10,000 to faithless electors.

It's important to note, that although these states have created these laws, a large number of scholars believe that such state-level laws hold no true bearing and would not survive constitutional challenge.

The final electors for each state are voted on by the state's residents on voting day. In many states, the electors' names are printed on the ballots -- where those names "sit" depends on the state. For example, the electors could be listed directly under the presidential candidates' names (Democrats with the Democratic nominee, Libertarians with the Libertarian nominee, Republicans with the Republican nominee and so on) or simply grouped by party somewhere else on the ballot. And, of course, the names might not even be listed at all. Essentially, it is the electors who get voted "in" who end up casting the "real" vote. Hold on, it seems like the last two sentences don't go together, "How can someone be voted "in" if they're not even on a ballot?" Consider this information from the Department of the Secretary of State for North Carolina:
Under North Carolina General Statute ??§ 163-209, the names of candidates for electors of President and Vice-President nominated by any political party recognized in this State under North Carolina General Statute ??§ 163-96 or by any unaffiliated candidate for President of the United States who has qualified to have his name printed on the general election ballot under North Carolina General Statute ??§ 163-122 must be filed with the Secretary of State. A vote for the candidates for President and Vice-President named on the ballot is a vote for the electors of the party or unaffiliated candidate by which those candidates for elector were nominated and whose names have been filed with the Secretary of State.
The key is this part, "A vote for the candidates for President and Vice-President named on the ballot is a vote for the electors..." This is the case for 48 states -- it's known as the "winner-take-all system." The other system, known as the "district system," is observed in both Maine and Nebraska. In these states, two electors' votes are made based on the candidate who received the most votes statewide. The remaining electoral votes go by congressional districts, awarding the vote to the candidate who received the most votes in each district.
Now, in regard to "winner-take-all" states, keep in mind what we said in the last section: Most of the time, electors cast their votes for the candidate who has received the most votes in that particular state. However, there have been times when electors have voted contrary to the people's decision, which is entirely legal. Although if you do vote against your party, you'll most likely be simultaneously forfeiting your post as elector and you may even incur a hefty fine -- see the sidebar on faithless electors.

Distribution of 2008 Electoral Votes

 

[mcguin]

thank you mino!

 

[QuestionGuy]

UMM......IM SORRY...but...ummm....I would rather worry about the next time im geting laid and drunk...but that just me...

 

[Crono1000]

anybody see the Stephen Colbert skit where they said don't vote just because all your friends are doing it. They were imitating like an abstinence advertisement on TV. They said, you can support Obama, but you don't have to go to the voting booth with him just because all the other kids are doing it

 

[Little Wing]

Voter turnout best in generations, maybe a century

By SETH BORENSTEIN – 11 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — America voted in record numbers, standing in lines that snaked around blocks and in some places in pouring rain. Voters who queued up Tuesday and the millions who balloted early propelled 2008 to what one expert said was the highest turnout in a century.
It looks like 136.6 million Americans will have voted for president this election, based on 88 percent of the country's precincts tallied and projections for absentee ballots, said Michael McDonald of George Mason University. Using his methods, that would give 2008 a 64.1 percent turnout rate.
"That would be the highest turnout rate that we've seen since 1908,"