To vote for a party that will never win anyway is not an option, because that sends the party justification for a manifesto that you may not even believe in! Not to vote at all or a spoiled ballot paper sends a message to the parties involved that they are not catering for the electorate, and that they need to change. That is their job, is it not? So I think not to vote at all or to spoil your ballot paper will send the right message to your leaders that they are not doing it for you.

We can know so much about parties and candidates today that we'll hardly ever find anyone who agrees with us. The most we can usually do is find someone who most dis-agrees with us and vote against him and them.

If voting is an expression of what you believe, it shouldn't matter whether your candidate has a chance of winning. You're not voting for the candidate because they're popular (or you shouldn't, anyway) but because you agree with them and want them to represent your voice in government. Not voting at all expresses that you have no political opinions. If that's not true, find a candidate who best represents you and vote for them. If the choice is between voting for a losing candidate and not voting at all, I say cast your ballot for the one that speaks for you. Voting for a third party candiate sends a message that the major parties are not serving your needs, and that if they want your vote they will have to find a candidate you can support. Of course there are strategic reasons for voting *against* a particular candidate that you can take into consideration as well (a vote for their opponent can be construed as a vote against the candidate). It all depends on the message you want to send, and what you want the final outcome to be. In a close race it may come down to which of the most likely winners will best serve your needs.

Maybe you should write to the Major Partie's and tell them your concerns. if they even reply it shows they care, and then you could help improve them. That would in turn help make the world a better place.

The word idiot comes from ancient Greek, essentially meaning one who doesn't vote. All not voting does is show you don't care. As has been pointed out, voting should be a means of expressing your beliefs, not about picking a winner. So vote for a small third party candidate if you feel they represent what you believe. And especially do that if you live in Canada, where every vote a party recieves translates into a buck seventy five in government funding. So make yourself heard, don't just vote for the guy (or gal?) you think will win. That's not what democracy's about.

I'm American and have not registered as a member of a major party because they don't represent my convictions. In my state this prevents me from voting in the primary elections. In effect I am being punished because I'm not a Democrat, Republican or Green. (Greens, by the way, have become a major party in many states because people DID vote their consciences instead of going with a "winner".)However, I'm sticking to my guns on this because I think the current method of selecting candidates prevents the best candidates from consideration. It's all about who spends the most on a campaign! In the final election I do vote, every time, and I vote for the person who best represents me. Voting for the "lesser of the evils" doesn't sit well with my conscience and I feel it's "giving in", even if my chosen candidate hasn't a chance of winning. I am not "wasting" my vote if I am voting my conscience. I think if everyone voted his/her conscience the current election system would eventually have to change to reflect that. Pipe dream maybe, but it's honest.

I certainly believe you should take the time to learn enough about the candidates to choose the one that addresses the issues that you are concerned about and vote accordingly. But, after doing this I believe it's our responsibility to demand answers and corrections of the irregularities that are so blatantly evident across the USA (Ex:hanging chads, new voting machines that don't work properly, etc.} Not only should we vote, our vote should count.

Voting for "a party who'll never win" does not change government and is unlikely to influence the other parties - it only makes some people feel like they did something principled without contributing or accomplishing anything. It is usually the case that none of the major candidates is perfect for you and your issues, but the only way to make your vote meaningful is to cast it for the candidate with a chance to win who is closest to your position. Choosing not to vote and voting for a canditate with no chance of winning both effectively mean you are willing to let other people choose your leaders without your input. ___________ The way for minor parties to gain influence is to get support before the election so that the polls indicate they have a meaningful chance of getting at least a plurality of votes. If polls indicate a minor party candidate will receive enough votes to be a contender then a vote is justified, otherwise it is wasted.

I vote in every election but do not vote for offices I know nothing about. Mostly it's for judges. I don't know anything about most of them.

Why vote for someone who you know for a fact isn't going to win. That's just a waste of time...and gas.

Better to vote. You'd be surprised how many issues or candidates got in by a razor thin margin.