Why Do We Vote? It's Not For the Reasons You Think…

[@chillsahoy2640]

For me, I vote because every data point is necessary. Imagine you're doing a study with human subjects, and every test subject decided to leave the study because "I'm just one person, my singular data point is negligible". And while that may be true, you need sufficient data points to do statistical analysis, to get a representative result. Some people are going to choose not to vote, some are going to try to vote and something will prevent that from happening, etc. Each of us has to try our best to add our insignificant data point to the result. It's the same principle as being a good and selfless person: your kindness is probably negligible in the world at large, BUT it's still a non-zero amount.

[@ChinnuWoW]

But is it worth the roughly 30 min of your precious time?

[@genesises]

while the thought is nice, this assumes people/politicians would make objective and sound decisions based on data - which doesn't even happen most of the time in privately owned companies.

[@chillsahoy2640]

@@ChinnuWoW Yes? Why would it not be?

[@hanifarroisimukhlis5989]

@@ChinnuWoW Not much, but we have to see the whole societal level benefits instead of personal. EDIT: Also 30 min? Wow that's awfuly long time to vote. Mine took

[@sofia.eris.bauhaus]

an election is not a survey. they serve different purposes.

[@sidpomy]

Our individual vote may be statistically insignificant, but if everyone became apathetic because of that then the system would break down. It’s a sort of political tragedy of the commons. And in the end, that’s proof that your vote does matter, but only as a part of the whole.

[@hawaii1229]

And if everyone went vegan the system would break down. That argument is one of the most common ones I hear for voting and it's a terrible one. I don't think a single non-voter has ever changed their mind because of that argument.

[@Nayr747]

​@@hawaii1229 How would the system break down if everyone went vegan? I don't think that's a great analogy.

[@laurendoe168]

We need a system like they have in Australia - failure to vote is a CRIME! Seriously. You can go to jail if you don't vote.

[@axthelm]

"It’s a sort of political tragedy of the commons" I believe what you are referring to is called the "Voter's Dilemma" where as long as one person makes a sacrifice of resources (however small the cost is) the entire group benefits, but if no one contributes everyone suffers.

[@laurendoe168]

@@Nayr747 I suspect the "system" being referred to is the whole meat processing industry. I could be wrong, but that's the only "sense" I can make of the post.

[@kenw447]

My country, Australia, has compulsory voting and there is a monetary fine if you do not vote in federal or state elections. The situation varies between states regarding local government elections. I believe there are about 20 or 30 countries around the world which have a similar policy. Voting is always done on a Saturday between 8 am and 6 pm, so taking time off work to vote is not an issue. Australia seems to have a different attitude towards elections than the US does, particularly the Republicans. In Australia, voting is seen as a civic duty, much like jury duty or paying taxes. In the US, and many other countries too, voting is seen as a privilege, not to be lightly given.

[@kid14346]

From what I heard Australia also has Ranked Choice voting instead of First Past the Post like America. From what I see it makes people trust their elections more and feel like their votes matter.

[@thephill_osopher7245]

Lol nobody works on the weekends down under?

[@marcpeterson1092]

A lot of us here believe it is a civic duty as well. But we also believe in the freedom not to vote.

[@iacopoguidi7871]

Writing from Italy. Here, much like in the rest of Europe, voting rights for the majority of the population were obtained through history with violent fights and social struggle, and for most people after ww2. We are used to see voting as a righ, but one that many, many people had to fight and die for, so something it should be a pride to participate to. Too bad we got way too relaxed in the West and are taking this right for granted, forgetting how young modern democracies are and what horrors thousands had to go through in order for us to have access to this right.

[@fireaza]

America was originally going to use a system where only people who owned X amount of land were eligible to vote, soooooo...

[@PumpkinMozie]

I used to be a non-voter because I was complacent and thought my one vote didn’t matter. Then I realized that I was an idiot because if everyone thought that was and didn’t turn out, our democracy wouldn’t work. On a micro level it seems pointless, but on a macro level it’s very important. Also, ofc the electoral college is complete BS, but it’s still not an excuse to not vote. Not every election is a presidential election. So few people turn out for smaller scale elections that your vote can actually have a huge impact on that level.

[@snowshinobi]

thanks for deciding to vote. it's never too late to take up the voting mantle once more.

[@In2legos]

Also, for local elections your vote especially starts to matter.

[@narmowolf4201]

came here to say the same lol I remember when I didn't care about voting and I was honest with people who asked if I was going to vote, told them I didn't think my one vote would matter. Only reason I changed my mind was the realization that if everyone or most people thought that way, the world would be a worse place. I still know my one vote won't be the deciding factor, but have voted consistently since making the choice to do so and encourage others to as well edit just to admit; I definitely feel social peer pressure and internal pressure to adhere to social norms in other areas of my life, but in my choice to vote and a few other things I made my choice in spite of what others may think of me. It's not that I didn't care what others would think of me, just that I accepted any potential negative reactions. And I wouldn't be surprised if many others can say the same

[@SR-td9jq]

"because if everyone thought that was and didn’t turn out, our democracy wouldn’t work." - but isn't it a vote in itself? I personally decries how this overall thing is working, so not voting is actually rationally acting. I wish nobody was going to vote so we could finally bring politicians to the table and tell them to change their bs programs

[@hanifarroisimukhlis5989]

Yup, we have to fight against tragedy of the commons. It's not enough to decide what's best for yourself, we have to decide what's best for everyone.

[@LiiMuRi]

Voting is not just about who wins. It's also a way to show your opinion, even if your candidate doesn't win.

[@TheyCalledMeT]

The problem is you always vote on a person who represents an aggregate of many decisions you agree and disagree with, instead of voting on each decision

[@nathan_middleton_]

That's not a good thing though; it's become too much about the identity politics rather than the actual policies. People are more concerned about how the party they vote for depicts themselves to the rest of society. The notion that you as a person can be defined by who you vote for is absurd and extremely reductive. Just because you vote for a party doesn't mean you have to align with all their values. Individuals are nuanced and someone who may be very left-wing on one issue, may have a very right-wing stance on another. Solution? Stop defining yourselves by who you vote for! You should cast you vote based on who you think will enact the best policies, not what people will think of you and your vote. (Presuming you're American, getting rid of the two party system and first past the post voting would also be hugely beneficial)

[@alveolate]

and in the same manner, NOT voting is also showing an opinion: that none of the candidates are worth your vote.

[@visceratrocar]

It's social conformity, nothing more

[@zaubergarden6900]

@LiiMuRi as a non-USA-citizen the phraze "my candidate" seems so foreign. Politicians really are like superheroes to you?

[@maluijten]

This comment section is already full of people telling your vote doesn't matter and voting or telling others to vote is stupid one way or another. You know why they tell you this? Because even if your vote alone does not make a huge impact, voting DOES matter. The people saying you shouldn't vote are influencing the narrative around voting, even if it isn't with malicious intent. It doesn't matter if these commenters genuinely believe voting doesn't matter, or if they are bots trying to influence elections: the fact that so many comments are trying to make you not vote should tell you something is up. The right to vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democracy. Use it.

[@desertshield]

Cope

[@hawaii1229]

You're confusing people's need to tell other people they don't vote with trying to get other people not to vote. Most non-voters don't give a crap if other people vote or not.

[@Nayr747]

The most powerful tool you have in a capitalist country that calls itself a democracy is how you vote with your dollar.

[@ChinnuWoW]

It’s not a powerful tool when all candidates are corrupt war criminals who pretend to care about the working class. The entire system needs to change. I don’t want a leader. I want a council.

[@Nayr747]

The most powerful tool you have in a capitalist country that calls itself a democracy is how you vote with your dollar.

[@yellowlynx]

To encourage people to vote make voting easy in America. 1) Make voting day a national holiday or on Sunday 2) Setup as many polling stations as possible, and that people don't have to wait in long lines - here in my city, we have one polling station per 10,000 people, and is only 10 minutes walk - Polling stations can be setup in school halls, community halls or even large sports statium 3) Make it simple to register as voter - all required IDs are free, all registration are free

[@richardevans560]

My goodness how lazy can you get? You have to go and vote once every 4 years and you want a holiday? If you want more polling stations demand them of your local/state/national govt.

[@OneColdMonkey]

I vote so I can be justified in complaining later. 😛

[@denisemcdougal6445]

Agreed

[@raymond9642]

Do you ever complain about plays your favorite team makes even though you aren't playing the sport? You're allowed to complain about things you don't do

[@ImaDogDude]

Every time I hear this, I think of George Carlin. He might have a point by saying the opposite.

[@Martinroot]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 That's the most danish thing EVER!!!!

[@davidroddini1512]

That’s the way I was raised. “If you don’t *do* anything about it you don’t have a right to complain about the results.”

[@Foxtrot77777]

I’m surprised that the American Electoral College was not referenced in this video, as it represents a key element in naming the American President

[@chrisrj9871]

Nobody likes the Electoral college. It's outdated and useless. People are people, not things. One person, one vote.

[@sharonminsuk]

But what role does it have in the topic at hand, "why people vote"? At best it is part of the problem: it makes our individual votes count a lot less, discouraging people from bothering. So it's not part of the explanation of why people vote, it's just part of the long list of discouragements we have to overcome. In other words, if they were going to mention it, they should have said: "In particular, why do people in all 50 states come out and vote for President, when they know that in around 45 of those states, their vote won't merely have a very small impact, it will literally have no impact at all - as if it weren't even counted?" (My own personal answer: I vote for President to send a message. Sadly, that's all the system will give me.)

[@BestBoricua]

I vote because one choice is going to make my life better, and the other choice is going to either keep it the same or make it worse.

[@ChinnuWoW]

Yet both choices will continue funding war crimes. This should not be acceptable.

[@not2hot99]

​@@ChinnuWoW Funding war crimes? Awesome, count me in!

[@chrisrj9871]

@@ChinnuWoW - no room for centrism in 2024, regardless. One candidate will end the country via his politically affiliated cohorts.

[@isacami25]

i vote because my grandfather was murdered for democracy, because my father was beaten up for democracy. because my great grandmother couldn't vote until she was 30. because i believe in democracy. and also because my mom taught me it was the right thing to do.

[@criticalrevel]

​@@user-lj8yl7ts9xhow the F is Stalin being compared to Hitler ?!

[@PaulWegert-oc2me]

@criticalrevel Well it’s less known than the 2. worldwar but Stalin was in fact a terrible dictator. He killed millions of Russians (or Sowjets). There are very good documentaries

[@hariompathak7395]

​@@criticalrevelamerican mindset

[@MadSpacePig]

Maybe this is me just me missing the pedantry of the specific scientific meaning of 'rational' in this case, but I feel like it's completely 'rational' to discount the thought that you won't have the deciding vote, because you know that if everyone like you had that thought, then they also wouldn't vote, and your favourite candidate might lose. Now to me that's still a completely selfish and strictly rational thought.

[@Attila_Beregi]

we've had an election for mayor recently and after 740 thousand votes counted the difference was around 300. So, one singular vote may not count but it definitely ads up ;)

[@TKHaines]

In my town of 65,000 our last elections had two that came down to fewer then 20 votes. One of them flipped our city counsel and the other the incumbent won, but it was close. Voting matters.

[@Attila_Beregi]

@@TKHaines yeah that's crazy!

[@depresso22]

Personally, I vote for a completely selfish reason - to maximize the chance of seeing political outcomes that I want. Also, "casting the deciding vote" makes sense only when you know how everyone else is voting, right? That doesn't sound like how popular vote works.

[@WrongParadox]

" to maximize the chance of seeing political outcomes that I want." isn't that the entire point?

[@sofia.eris.bauhaus]

if course you don't know if your vote will be decisive. but "maximizing the chance of seeing political outcomes that I want" is exactly about that chance in question.

[@kitsurubami]

I'm 35 and I registered to vote so that I could participate in the 2024 presidential election. :)

[@hansjzeller]

I'm really surprised that the video didn't talk at all about game theory. Sometimes a purely selfish strategy produces worse outcomes for most people, including those who act selfishly. I think that most people understand that voting is a collaboration and that just looking at our own cost vs. benefit leads to a bad outcome. I would not call that "irrational".

[@AySz88]

Yes! In fact, you only need to add one thing: that other people are just as reasonable, and will find the same reasoning and actions you do. Sometimes this is called "superrational". It's a much better fit for how "the right thing" is decided collectively in societies, IMO.

[@jb888888888]

2014, I was working as a pollworker (which I had done for decades and continue to do so) and one of the voters came in very upset because his wife had gotten a mailer saying "you didn't vote last election" along with a list of their neighbors who had voted. He said, "she was in the hospital! She always votes but that time she couldn't!" and that it ought to be illegal that whoever had sent out the mailing was trying to shame her into voting and potentially telling their neighbors whether or not she voted, that it's none of their business. One of my fellow pollworkers was similarly upset on the voter's behalf. I attempted to explain that it was just a dumb mail-merge mailer but they were too upset to listen.

[@michaelbindner9883]

Campaign workers are motivated to volunteer their time if they think they will win, eitherö L through reaction to their candidates by is positive or they lead in the polls. In multi- party democracies everyone votes because their vote will count.

[@VillagerJeff]

I'm blue in a red state bit vote because I feel like I have less of a right to complain if I didn't try to prevent outsomes

[@laurendoe168]

Then there's the flip side... if you vote and win, you have no right to complain if you got the outcome you desired; it's your fault, deal with it. Having said the above, I'm also blue in a red state and will be voting blue praying for a miracle. I have to accept the consequences if my candidates win.

[@joecurran2811]

That's true

[@fep_ptcp883]

Yeah, if you didn't bother voting it feels like you have less right to complain afterwards, i totally agree

[@ChinnuWoW]

Even though it's an absolutely futile attempt and therefore a waste of your precious time?

[@EcceJack]

​@@ChinnuWoW There are, of course, also many down-ballot things happening, which may well be very much worth one's time!

[@fegolem]

I vote based on policies, track record, and needs of the country (IMO). I try to look at every side. Time, energy, and sanity deplete quickly, when investigating the choices.

[@marcpeterson1092]

I vote because I have strong opinions on who should be president. Voting is one way to express my opinion.

[@DerUnglaublicheFrank]

Voting is your only allowed (take a guess by whom) choice to put your opinion into action.

[@Scarker]

I think it's a massive oversimplification to view "rationality" as a purely cost/benefit analysis, especially when it comes to voting. For many people, it's more of a risk/threat balance - what do you risk by setting the time aside to vote versus what's the threat of the person you want to vote for not getting into office, or the threat their opponent poses. It honestly sounds like the studies that are being referenced started with the question of "how do you manipulate people into voting" - and worked backwards from the conclusions to assume the answer to why people do or don't vote without considering many other socioeconomic factors. Frankly, the sheer number of omissions could fill a dozen of these videos - and maybe that sheer brevity is the reason why the theorem as presented sounds so incomplete - but boiling down altruism to mere peer pressure based on an experiment in behavioral manipulation is definitely several orders of magnitude more of a logical leap than anything this video presented has justified.

[@Oltoir]

"forceful assertion of social norms" is quite the phrase! (Great vid team, keep up the great work!)

[@LeDoctorBones]

One thing not mentioned in this video, is that while I like to think I vote because I am engaged with the democratic process, a big part is also that it just feels great to vote. I am happy for the rest of the day after I voted, sometimes even the day after.

[@LukVance]

Please Keep the outakes at the end of your videos, I love them! almost as much as the rest of the content

[@zahraelok5932]

I love the pop art style of this video! Adding this channel right next to Lead Learn Leap. You guys have similar animated videos with informative knowledge ^^ Love it

[@NickLavic]

I vote for one simple reason: if nobody did it then we'd live in a dictatorship instead of a democracy. It's the same reason why I recycle and compost.

[@bencross3759]

zzzzzzzzzzz

[@ChinnuWoW]

We already live in a functional dictatorship. What we have is the illusion of democracy. There is so much the politicians could do for the working class that they never will, no matter who is president/prime minister. The government will continue funding the genocide and other war crimes despite the majority being against it. This is not democracy.

[@Ben-ok4gx]

You basically have an aesthetic attachment to democracy over and above any tangible benefits it actually provides

[@NickLavic]

@@Ben-ok4gx Are you suggesting that a dictatorship is more beneficial for the citizens than democracy?

[@ChinnuWoW]

We already live in a functional dictatorship. Democracy is an illusion in the US and Canada. It's not a coincidence that every candidate is garbage and goes against the will of the people.

[@ikhbjhbkm5]

Recognizing and defying social pressures is kinda my thing! I don't do things because I care what "you" think. I do what I think is right, and have a very low opinion of decisions made because of groupthink or herd mentality. And an even lower opinion of those making decisions that way, knowingly or otherwise.

[@danielwebb8402]

But you know you are individually choosing the only unique wonderful individual?

[@xFurashux]

I vote because if I wouldn't that's like agreeing with any results.

[@axthelm]

I love that the answer of "why do humans do..." always ends up being in the realm of social psychology & sociology. Culture, social norms, and peer influence always wins because we are social animals. And right after explaining how this influence works Joe adds his pressure to conform to social norms at 11:29; don't think we didn't notice. :)

[@Dan-di9jd]

For me I’m a single man who is 40 years old. I never got married and have no children. Personally I do not plan to be alive to retire so retirement has no value to me. And on top of that since I have no children I do not think I want to be in some home cared for by the children of women who rejected me. I just rather leave this world up to the people who have a place in it and me voting has no value since whatever I believed in or cared about doesn’t matter.

[@lbjcb5]

We must feel inspired to vote. We must feel empathy for our community and desire to be part of the social world.

[@Goryus]

It is possible to behave rationally as an individual while considering impacts on the societal level, not just the individual one.

[@Robit-d20]

I’m sitting watching this video eating a bowl of cereal I just bought at the grocery store after doing a cost to flavor analysis of the generic version of the cereal versus the brand name and you put that exact example in the video 😂. Amazing.

[@skullz291]

They have a saying in China that roughly goes like this. "In China, you can't change the party, but you can change the policy. In America, you can change the party, but you can't change the policy." That's really all you need to know about the American "Republic," or liberal democracy in general. Bought and sold a long time ago, and an election is just how the ruling class manufactures your consent. To make you feel as those you chose any of the terrible things that happen next. And, more importantly, to limit the imagination of political possibility to two corrupt bourgeois parties. One of which is always just controlled opposition. It's a busy box, meant to give you the illusion of control so you don't actually learn what politics is, organized groups of people using power to assert their class position. To the person reading this, statistically, that means unions and organized denial of labor. Voting is, by its real definition, asking someone else to do politics for you. And if they're not a member of your class and movement, it's laughable that they'd even pretend to do anything you want. This is especially funny when you realize that most people proudly say they would never vote for the other party. I.e., you have zero leverage. And primaries don't help you either, these are private organizations that have no legal obligation to put forward a candidate voted for in a primary. You vote because you're powerless, and you want to feel like you have control over what the ruling class does. You don't. But you could, if there was a unified, organized, fiercely dedicated union of tens of millions willing to deny their labor to their economy the moment their "Democracy" inevitably runs afoul of basic human decency.

[@Nate-r3f]

I'm sorry, but that's BS. There are HUGE differences between the parties and their policies. Every piece of moral progress we've made through policy since the 50's (Civil Rights Act, Medicare/Medicaid, legalized same-sex marriage in most states, Obamacare, infrastructure funding, etc.) has been passed by Democrats (or mostly Democrats) and signed by a Democratic President.

[@TheGavric]

I love the wholesomeness of your belief that people do research.

[@shaktaribelew7990]

I appreciate this video & especially the wonderfully insightful comments, which add so much to the answer as to WHY we vote. For me, it’s a strong sense of wanting to help create a thriving planet for all. That motivation has increased as our society has seemed to value personal gain (without much regard for the cost to others) over collective well-being. Voting is a tangible way of taking RESPONSIBILITY for helping to create an increase in the quality of our collective lives and our only viable planet. But it also, as someone mentioned, provides information as to the people’s will regarding various issues. Once Rank Choice Voting or similar methods are in place, that aspect will become even more important. How else will our representatives know how we, their constituents, truly feel about various issues?

[@gilgingras5599]

Bring your school aged children when you vote. They will turn into adults that vote. Play the long game for democracy.

[@Ben-ok4gx]

My parents did that and I don’t vote

[@nyrdybyrd1702]

Candidacy considered, first graders should be able to vote.. js.

[@Manley410]

the USA is not a democracy. it is a democratic republic

[@TheRealJman87]

@@Ben-ok4gx Then please don't complain about the way things are if you're unwilling to change it

[@Ben-ok4gx]

@@TheRealJman87 I’m willing to actually change it unlike you

[@joshuasims5421]

Theories of rational behavior are often quite quick and self assured about what behavior is rational, and it seems often based myopically on crude material costs. Social and emotional outcomes are real and rational motivators too. Great analysis of the relevant factors!

[@iout]

The way I see it, even if my vote isn't that influential in the grand scheme of things, it's still infinitely more influential than if I didn't vote. And that's enough for me to view the cost as worth it. The knowledge that I did everything I could, even if what I could do is limited, is better than sitting back and just letting things happen without me. There's no such thing as apoliticism. The choice to do nothing is still a political choice; it's the choice which says you are fine with whatever the outcome is. And if that isn't true, if I do care about what the outcome is, which I do, then the only choice which properly aligns with my beliefs is to make that known, no matter how small that may seem.

[@therrydicule]

Man, that comment section: The problem is you should vote. "But it's stupid" - Other people vote, their vote count, and your non-vote don't count. "But it's consent to my own oppression" - North-Korean don't need consent or elections to oppress people. "But it's only a social norm" - Yes, but it's also institutional. Besides, if you don't even vote, what else are you not doing in society?

[@JerryFlowersIII]

I'm glad you used the first one.

[@haoguo2056]

Vote, but vote smartly, vote with a good rationale, logic and evidence, not emotion, or a shot in the dark.

[@rudyerickson3830]

Just to think about how many people vote any given way only because political ads

[@Eduarodi]

I've never failed to vote. I always have a favourite candidate, and I try to persuade others to vote for my candidate, too, so the chances of winning are a little higher.

[@ninjanerdstudent6937]

I vote for fun. It breaks me from routine.

[@MrSimonlos]

pretty sure Robin Hanson wrote about it in The Elephant in the Brain. Really good book about how our real reasons for our behaviour are often hidden and we are not even aware of it.

[@KuruGDI]

... let's not forget that beside food and booze there was also Puff Daddy's "Vote or Die" campaign.

[@Markus_Abrach]

I used to vote because it made me feel important. The second reason is that i live in a region where anyone who doesn't vote is punished. Yes, after voting, you may receive a bill to pay your penalty for not voting. For several years i have belonged to a church that teaches that voting is forbidden because, as citizens of heaven, we should not vote on earth. The same applies f.e. if a German is not allowed to vote in the US because he does not have citizenship there

[@CymruCreator]

4:35 in every situation, people do that. what you are getting confused here is the value of people's mental state.

[@AceSpadeThePikachu]

Here in Canada where we have more than just two parties, for some of us voting can also be a sort of statement about our values. Since each political party has its own values, priorities and "brand" as it were, when we choose to vote for a specific party (particularly those of us who always vote for the same party time and time again), it's a way of expressing our own values through the party we vote for that shares the most values with us. For others, it can be about spite. If one of the candidates is just really annoying, unpleasant or tiresome (perhaps even dangerous), we vote for the party most likely to be able to win against that undesirable candidate both in the hopes of actually keeping them out of power, but also at the very least as a statement that we disapprove of that candidate's platform.

[@dietersteg6384]

You guys should absolutely vote on repairing your backwards, overly complicated voting and electoral processes. In most democratic countries voting is easy and free and you do not have to take time off for it. You hardly even have to register. America is deeply undemocratic that way.

[@Sungirl801]

I'm a citizen of both Germany and the US. In Germany you get a letter a couple months prior to an election coming up. It's your "invitation" so to say. If you cannot vote on the day for whatever reason (Always a Sunday 9am-6pm) you can fill out a form on the back, send it back and get a mail-in ballot delivered to you. If you vote on the day, you take the letter and your ID (Personalausweis) and go to the address designated on the letter; usually a school or a community center; hand in the letter and get your ballot. Then you vote behind a cover and throw your ballot in a big box for later counting. This is possible because we have a residents' registration office that knows at all time where you live; it even says it on your ID. Therefore, they know where to contact you. I voted absentee in the US this year for the first time. The hoops you have to jump through just to be able to vote is so much more difficult. Find out if the state you have ties to lets you vote if you never lived in the US, find where you can apply, find out where to send the copy of your passport, find out how to properly package the ballot and voters oath, have the envelopes and materials at home, and then find out which voting office to send it to...that's a heck lot of hoops to jump through, and will always hinder those who have more pressing matters, like working multiple jobs, care for kids or generally struggle with their day-to-day, to execute their right. All I can say is - USA, you helped Germany sort out their democracy after WW2; you guys KNOW how to do it. Now clean up your own mess, and take your voting to the 21st century, please. Lots of love!

[@amazinggrapes3045]

What candidate would want that?

[@intheshell35ify]

How can you say that after watching the US election system get attacked in 2020 and turn away all attempts at subversion? Chump thought the election system was vulnerable so that is where he attacked. I'm glad our election system is "overly complicated". Maybe if your country was worth stealing you might have to beef up election security.

[@intheshell35ify]

How can you say that after watching the US election system get attacked in 2020 and turn away all attempts at subversion? Chump thought the election system was vulnerable so that is where he attacked. I'm glad our election system is "overly complicated". Maybe if your country was worth stealing you might have to beef up election security.

[@intheshell35ify]

How can you say that after watching the US election system get attacked in 2020 and turn away all attempts at subversion? Chump thought the election system was vulnerable so that is where he attacked. I'm glad our election system is "overly complicated". Maybe if your country was worth stealing you might have to beef up election security.

[@stecky87]

That peer pressure being part of why we vote explains the massive amounts of ads during this election that emphasized our friends and family could look up our voting record.

[@snowshinobi]

Like what Contrapoints said near the end of her video on voting, I vote fully prepared to protest against the icky parts of the party/representative I voted for. Don't settle for the best of the worst. After you vote, ask for the support you and your community deserve. Vote in local elections as well as the bigshot ones. Political representatives' job is to serve their community. It is not at all hypocritical to challenge those you vote into power. They only get that power because the people gave it to them. They have to earn it. Let's make them earn it.

[@hariompathak7395]

Im too lazy to even register as a voter🗿

[@cadillacdeville5828]

I love accurate information ❤

[@halem6580]

I LOVED the way Maine did voting when I went to college there. Same day registration AND ranked choice voting. The only thing that could have made it better was automatic mail-in ballots for everyone who was already registered

[@rudyerickson3830]

That gives easy rise to ballot harvesting and thus should be avoided

[@Brodes1985]

In Australia we get fined if we don't vote. I personally would vote anyway ( plus the essential democracy sausage sizzle) but it's enough motivation for me to be engaged with our politics and to keep the protections we have. Our politics isn't as "celebrity" as it is in the US they just do their thing

[@e-pluszak9419]

Daily reminder: 2000 US presidential election was decided by a margin of 537 votes in the state of Florida (2,912,790 vs 2,912,253)

[@FrodoOne1]

23 Countries (most of them "Democracies") have Compulsory Voting - including Australia. In Australia, the penalty for Not Voting (without a "reasonable excuse") is only $20. In Australia it is compulsory for all persons 18 of age, or over, to register to Vote, and (hence) to Vote In Australia, there are Federal and State/Territory "Electoral Commissions" which set electoral boundaries, so that each Electorate contains (roughly) the same number of voters as any other Electorate. (Within 10%) (Local Council "Electoral Boundaries" are also set by State/Territory Electoral Commissions.) (Electoral Boundaries are NOT set by State/Territory or Federal Governments/Parties.) The Electoral Commissions organize the Elections and arrange for the counting of votes. Electoral Candidates may arrange to have "observers" present at Vote Counting, to ensure that votes are not mis-counted. All voting is by Pencil/Pen and Paper - no "machines" are used. The paper votes are retained for a period sufficient for a "recount", if a candidate has "reasonable grounds" to request this. Preferential Voting (Ranked Choice Voting) is universal in Australia. Posting Voting is available to all who have a "reasonable reason" to require this. Pre-Poll voting in person is available - for about two weeks prior to Polling Day. Polling Day is always on a Saturday. - from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm (Local Time.) This results in Local "Groups" organizing "Sausage Sizzles" (Barbecues) and "Cake Stalls" etc., to take advantage of the large numbers of possible "customers" there assembled throughout the day. (See "From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia Got Compulsory Voting.)

[@stecky87]

"Turns out there's very little molecular biology involved in the workings of representative democracy" had me rolling

[@michaelmedlinger6399]

Wanting to be able to vote (i.e., participate fully in civil life) was one of my major reasons (although there were, of course, others) for deciding to obtain citizenship in the country I call home, and I have voted in every single election since I became a citizen here. Moreover, I physically go to the polls to cast my vote although mail-in voting is made quite easy here. I enjoy exercising this right to the full.

[@rrrosecarbinela]

I vote because I want a better country. For ALL of us.

[@rueburch2856]

8:50 How on earth did that study pass Internal Review Board/Human Subjects Committee ethics approval?

[@ll-lx2ml]

Yeah, u r right, this is inhumane

[@lars3509]

"In chess, it's called Zugzwang, when your only viable move... is not to move."

[@BlackWater_49]

3:25 I'm a quite rational person which is why I go out and vote because I know that all the radicals get their people out to vote therefore if I don't do my small part along with millions of other moderates I'd very much not enjoy the outcome. I'm personally a centrist so I want neither fascists nor socialists in power because I think that our Social-Market Economy is one of the best economic systems every devised. As a German I also know from the past 100 years of our painful and dark history (specifically the first 50 years of the last century) that democracy can not only die but will die when democrats don't actively work to protect it and as a voter that means going to vote, every - single - time, which I have. Since I've become eligible to vote on my 18th birthday I have never missed a single election and hopefully never will miss any until I die. The right to vote is a curious thing. Most tools deteriorate with usage, the right right to vote deteriorates with non-usage. So go out and vote, no-one else will do it for you.

[@michaelbindner9883]

We vote because we have a rational expectation that others in our party will vote too. Downs left that part out.

[@Vontroll]

I imagine my candidate losing by one vote. It's extremely unlikely, but possible

[@sofia.eris.bauhaus]

why?

[@chrisrj9871]

@@sofia.eris.bauhaus - because elections are NOT sports games.

[@visceratrocar]

@Vontroll No it isn't. The electoral college chooses the winner regardless of voter turnout.

[@mgailp]

I agree voting is mostly down to social norms without a doubt. I vote because my parents taught me it is my duty to do so and the cost of not voting would be shaming their memories.

[@leylarose8905]

I didn’t know you were specifically in molecular biology! I’ve been watching the channel for years and am now in my second year of Molecular biology 🫶 that’s so cool! This channel and others like it has been a big part of why I’m perusing science !

[@gailaltschwager7377]

Thank you!

[@Jase_LV]

I think every choice is rational one where you give cost benefit analysis. It's just that the variable are not always price and performance, but also time, emotional attachment, how tired you are, etc. As such it's strange to call those choices not rational ones.

[@ljoca]

People vote for many more reasons than peer pressure or societal norms. People vote because they care who leads the country. It's not just a vote. It's a statement, an act of patriotism. It's an alignment of values and beliefs. I think any of these reasons make it a very valuable process and worth the cost to participate.

[@yogeshkumar3199]

Anti-incumbency or desire for change … even if not knowing what ‘change’ will bring about … is another big factor…

[@joegagliardi3984]

Each state’s delegates, whether they want to or not, cast their vote based on which candidate won their state’s popular vote. In the state’s Biden won the popular vote, he received that state’s electoral college votes. It doesn’t mean the candidate with the most popular votes, overall, wins because each state has a different number of electors. Which states’ you win is what really matters. The last two elections came down to a difference of about 100,000 popular votes across 3 states. It’s unfortunate, but the hope of eliminating the electoral college is not likely to happen anytime soon. In 2000 and 2016, the Democrats won the popular vote by a wide margin, but they lost both elections. In 2016, Clinton won the popular vote by 3 or 4 million and in 2020, Biden won the popular vote by 8 or 9 million. Because of this, the Republican Party will do everything in their power to keep the electoral college intact. As long as they keep winning big states, like Texas and Florida, they can still win without getting the most popular votes. It doesn’t seem very democratic, does it?

[@brettito]

I would have liked a video on why people don't vote. People that vote are already watching this.

[@nattetosti9776]

At 5:36 it says "not actually 2005", but at 8:00 it doesn't say "not actually the stone age". Does this mean what I think it does?

[@TheyCalledMeT]

To feel we are represented and have a voice. Emphasis is on to feel

[@wsg94]

In Brazil this answer is simple: we’re obligated to vote, if not, there are legal implications

[@AdmiralThumbs]

4:37 people DO do that, it's just that you and others are ignoring less tangible costs and benefits. In that hypothetical cereal buying situation, there's likely a time cost to evaluate all the options and an emotional cost for making a decision. Likewise, there's likely a flavor benefit as that brand has proven itself to the buyer as having acceptable flavor. Similarly, your video goes on to describe costs (such as shame) and benefits (such as a feeling of participating in freedom) that actually make voting very rational and weigh positively in the benefit side of the equation for those who do.

[@sjwarlock]

11:36 « We can't have a democracy if people don't vote. » They actually are many ways you can have a true democracy without elections. By emphasizing consent and consensus (direct democracy, communalism, associationalism, sociocracy, etc.) or generalizing sortition (representation via a random selection from the citizenry) to give just two examples. Many argue that such systems are actually way more democratic than the managed liberal democracies most of us live under. For most of ancient Greece's history (especially Aristotle) an "elitist" oligarchy based on elections was considered preferable to the dangers of democracy (generally considered to be a result of random selection). Our founders (in the USA or, in my case, France) being rich business and slave owners, built our "democracies" on such ideas, favouring census vote and centralism. The general confusion between vote and democracy is a direct result of such "elitism". I personally consider people truly attached to the democratic ideal should try to avoid such confusion as much as possible. ... Especially right now, as the French government is the result of a coup led by an authoritarian president and supported by the far-right, in direct contradiction with the result of the latest election. Some people don't vote because they consider elections to be a trap designed to make people abandon their political power to unreprestentative system. I tend to agree with them, and even if I consider it is still important to vote, I respect anyone who decide not to vote as long as it's a conscious decision and they use their political power elsewhere. I however do not respect anyone who votes for fascists. Saying stuff like "anyone should go out and vote no matter who they're voting for" is a non-sense when some candidates are anti-democratic and hateful.

[@Tfin]

"Just grabbing the Lucky Charms" is a result of a cost benefit analysis. Taking the time to look at everything is very time intensive (cost), and you know that the Lucky Charms will be enjoyed (benefit).

[@paulidin]

One reason I did not hear you mention that has been a big factor in the US in the last dozen or so years has been "To offset the bad voter's vote," a philosophy held by DEM, GOP, independent and 3rd party voters in the US alike. Is it a large motivating factor compared to social norms or altruism? I have no idea. But's a non-trivial component I'm sure as both broadcast interviews and private anecdotes indicate many voters did it because they were afraid someone else would vote a way they don't like.

[@MVeans-j7w]

I consider it a civil duty to attend the designated place to vote in order then to make a choice. One can also vote informal meaning that your irregular vote does not count. My preferred voting system is the Hare-Clarke System.

[@travishunter8573]

Im in a coalition and that coalition does determine the outcome. Its very rational the rationale is that i want good things to happen not bad things so i need to vote.

[@flyingostrich88]

I think that in the USA, people's sense that "their vote doesn't count" comes from the fact that in some cases it literally doesn't. Because of FPP voting and the electoral college, candidates win with sometimes less than 1/3 or even 1/4 of the consent of voters. If you vote red in California your vote doesn't count. Please do a video about ranked choice voting and how FPP leads to a two-party dichotomy, loss of nuance in candidate platforms, and growing apathy within democracy.

[@arthurrq]

In Brazil, voting is mandatory and it happens on Sunday. This makes it harder to companies don’t allow people voting. So basically every election most of people vote.

[@baatile]

In democratic countries, everyone gets a day off to vote… or half a day off at the very least.

[@Owain_Lord_Of_Glyndyfrdwy]

Not really. We just vote on sunday, it works fine.

[@desertshield]

Eeeeh, no? Not at all.

[@stevewood8914]

Everyone‽ Even police, nuclear power plant workers, prison officers and polling station staff? Or is it just office workers?

[@Rylact.]

Not here

[@HellaJ77]

Have never been given a day off to vote.

[@heartonmysleeves4668]

Why do we vote Red or Blue is the better question. Both agree 100% of the time when it comes to MIC, Wall Street, War, and Jen-O-Side. 40+ years of failed Reaganomics have destroyed the middle class.

[@handlethisnut]

You can complain about the two-party system all you want but it's a simple consequence of the voting system. Advocate for another one if you really think the two-party system is too rigid to allow your particular policies.

[@heartonmysleeves4668]

@@handlethisnut Damn all you complainers! lol MLK was 1000% correct about his fear of neoliberalism.

[@ikhbjhbkm5]

I don't think I would put the blame on Reaganomics for the destruction of the middle class, but instead the allowance and push toward globalization, 5-10 years later and continuing to this day. When the world becomes your workforce, your middle class goes the direction of the global middle class. This is obviously a downward one for countries near the top of the global living standards.

[@TheAleatoriorandom]

How important and meaningful voting is may change a lot from country to country, since everything from culture to the institutions and systems that regulate voting have a great impact. I will say one thing to add to the conversation, voting and caring about the direction of your nation are not necessarily the same. Someone who doesn't vote (either as a protest or because a deficient election system) could do a lot to change things, maybe by educating others, triying to change the culture, organizing local groups etc. While someone who votes without much thought probably achieves little other than falling for the empty words of some demagoge.

[@brassen]

On the subject of elections and democracy, I'd like to recommend a book by Nobel Prize-winning José Saramago, "Seeing" (Ensaio sobre a Lucidez). "On election day in the capital, it is raining so hard that no one has bothered to go out to vote. The politicians are growing jittery. Should they reschedule the elections for another day? Around three o' clock, the rain finally stops. Promptly at four, voters rush to the polling stations, as if they had been ordered to appear. But when the ballots are counted, more than 70 percent are ... "

[@Kayclau]

I decided to start voting because I felt a duty to do so. I've continued because I want to part take on the process to my desirable outcome. If I were on the US I probably wouldn't care (for presidents, at least), no result looks desirable, I'd try to find something actually important to do.

[@briankelly1240]

Research is the key.

[@muriloporfirio7853]

Voting systems are a way to legitimize the government, even though it is a completely flawed way to represent how each individual thinks and being mathematically proven to be imperfect (one of the best and simplest alternatives though).

[@KuruGDI]

Is it voting really _just_ social pressure (as in pressure without a deeper reason behind it)? Social pressure usually has it's base somewhere and once was the outcome of something that wasn't working out. The reason why we don't do certain things has may been gone, but there usually at least _was_ a reason why.

[@Danee-IHMBA-HcistaLmericaMzMx]

Good video as always!!! Lovethis channel! I remember watching it when I was younger, I hope one day you will reply me...

[@besmart]

Thanks for watching!

[@Danee-IHMBA-HcistaLmericaMzMx]

​@@besmart 😲😓😁😆🥲. YOU INDEED REPLY ME. Thank you!!!!!! I appreciate the reply, thanks for the always useful and objective info! Never change man! You deserve more support, sadly, YT systems sometimes help some channels than others, even if some channels are 10 times more useful and with more work behind, but you keep doing this content for the people that appreciate it. That's commitment and helpful, you and your community are the reasons I still have faith of humanity. Greetings from Mexico!!!🟢⚪🔴

[@Danee-IHMBA-HcistaLmericaMzMx]

@@besmart YOU INDEED REPLY ME :) :O ;). Thank you!!!!!! I appreciate the reply, thanks for the always useful and objective info! Never change man! You deserve more support, sadly, YT systems sometimes help some channels than others, even if some channels are 10 times more useful and with more work behind, but you keep doing this content for the people that appreciate it. That's commitment and helpful, you and your community are the reasons I still have faith of humanity. Greetings from Mexico!!!

[@mikkelandersen2328]

"My chance of casting the deciding vote" ? That is a matter of perspective, surely. Every vote is deciding. Your vote matters, and so do mine.

[@edgar-sama642]

That's a problem in focusing on the individual action of voting, viewing a person as a consumer. A better outlook is to describe it as a social act.

[@TimwiTerby]

The example with the cereal aisle was a really bad example because you failed to consider that going through all the cereals to assess their prices is itself a cost. It’s perfectly rational to just pick one and save the time and effort, especially in a modern supermarket where you can be confident that all options are going to be acceptable (none of them is going to bankrupt you or poison you).

[@supernova8962]

Thank you....This convinced me not to go out there because it's my choice. I will not vote this year. TY

[@shutincharlie3461]

I am no pharmacist but this makes sense