this post was submitted on 12 Nov 2024
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I think if that was the case, people would have showed up to vote for ranked choice voting which was on a ton of state ballots this year.
Oddly, they all failed since people didn't bother to vote for those either. Not voting for the thing that will change the system that put these voters in this situation in the first place...
Suffice to say, it's a lot more than just one reason.
I agree that there's more than one reason but I'm not sure we're on the same page about the rest.
If people failed to be motivated to go and vote for a presidential candidate, in an election where voting is voluntary, I think it stands to reason that they wouldn't bother going to vote for anything else on the ballot. Maybe I am ignorant about how these ballot initiatives work. Don't people vote on them at the same time as the presidential election?
It seems short sighted to throw away all of your local election voting power just because you don't like the presidential options you have available.
And, as mentioned, particularly when one of them is specifically meant to be able to pick a better presidential candidate. Seems like the kind of thing one would want to go vote for.
It's only short sighted if people are educated and motivated and chose not to go and vote regardless. But I don't think that's what happened. A key part of educating people about progressive causes and initiatives is running progressive campaigns and motivating people to get involved in those campaigns or to support them. If competing major parties run on right wing platforms whether it be in the US or Australia or anywhere where parliamentary politics is dominated by a parliamentary duopoly then it should come as no surprise that folks who are not inspired by right wing politics don't get involved in anything and don't get educated or informed about other progressive causes etc.
Then I suppose our state ballots should be separate from our federal ones. It is wrong to not vote for anything if your one reservation from the rest of your ballot is the choice of president.