No Stupid Questions

Always vote. There’s always someone analyzing trends, and you don’t truly know where it’s heading until you get there.

I do somewhat understand since I moved to Massachusetts: I’ll get my preference regardless whether I vote. But it does matter, even if it’s just a trend: I was a bit disappointed Biden didn’t quite get 2/3 last time around: he won with only 65.6%. We can do better! My county only voted 71.5% for Biden and there were at least three counties better. We can do better!

At least as importantly, it does give me more freedom to vote third party, in the comfort of knowing my state’s electoral votes will all go toward the sane option. Historically we’ve had reasonably strong showings for third party candidates, but last time was only 2%

Vote. You don't have to vote for Biden or Trump, you can write in a vote or choose a third party or independent candidate on the ballot, if your State allows it. Not for the reason of making practical change, because it won't in a two party system, but to show the analytics, media, the ruling power that you don't have to vote for the lesser of two evils. Anyone that says otherwise does not know what democracy means and supports a broken system through enabling. Local votes ate more important IMO, always vote for that. The more informed you are, the less likely you are to support a broken system.

Yes! It's the total votes statewide that determines the winner (POTUS and Senator), no matter which areas of the state they come from. Besides that, a showing of more blue votes in red areas makes a bigger statement to powers-that-be, campaign analysts, etc. than blue votes in blue areas. Represent!

And as everyone else is saying, vote blue for every office on the ballot. The state, county, and city levels are just as important as the national level if not more so. Vote in every election no matter what, even if no one you voted for wins, it matters how close the races are so Dems know where to concentrate their efforts.

Always vote, no matter what. If everyone who said it doesn't matter voted your red state might turn blue or at very least purple. Even if it still stays red it will be a sign that people are rejecting Republicans and could force change. Plus lots of races aren't just for president and are local things which can be won with less then 1000 votes in many places so vote every time always.

Ohio is purple too though. It can go both ways as generations shift.

I'm also from Ohio. Your vote counts. Besides the tally, elections are about statistics. One of those statistics is trajectory. People who run campaigns take notice. One thing to understand about Ohio politics is that when voted on individually "blue" ideas pass. Abortion access, recreational marijuana, anti gerrymandering but candidates lose. This tells me it's possible for Dems to win in Ohio, they just suck at getting their message across

The popular vote tally is what matters on a state level. 48 states (Ohio included) use a state-wide popular vote and award all their electoral votes to the winner of a plurality (highest percentage even if no one gets more than 50%) in that vote.

Please always vote. Ohio isn't so deeply red that it's completely hopeless yet

Sorry I'm not well enough versed in American politics to know who's blue or red.

Whether you should vote or not doesn't depend on the people around you. It is your right to have your say. The result is the cumulative effect of everyone in your area doing the same. Whether you think you're surrounded by millions of blues or millions of reds doesn't make any difference. Your perception may be incorrect, and your analysis, that there is literally zero chance that your vote will matter, is incorrect.

Nobody knows the results of an election until the votes are in and have been counted. It doesn't matter that your area has always been red, blue, green, turquoise, pink or whatever. Areas can change allegiance, and it is by individuals getting out and voting.

If you don't vote, you strengthen the position of those who vote the other way. It is not considered a protest vote because the system would prefer to consider this as voter apathy. If you want to register a protest vote and "none of the above" isn't an option, find the official way to spoil your ballot paper and do that, but whatever you do, get out and vote.

Here in Australia, our voting system means you can't waste a vote. If whoever I vote for doesn't win, my vote gets shifted to the next on my list.

Every year I vote for the Animal Justice Party, Environment Australia, Progressive Unity etc. They never win, but my vote is still registered as having gone to them. Eventually my vote shifts along and either lands on the greens who win my electorate, or labour. But they'll still see that the Animal Justice Party DID get a lot of votes, and maybe the Greens or Labour will focus more on animal based policy.

If 49% of your American electorate votes blue, maybe your right wing winner will try to appeal to that sizeable demographic by not being so horribly right wing.

Other than helping you sleep at night, probably not. That's enough reason to do it though.

Always vote. Progressives lose elections because 30% of any population votes for the conservative at every single election, no matter what, like it's a religion. Progressives need a culture that says: ALWAYS VOTE. It doesn't fucking matter if it doesn't fucking matter. Vote anyway. Let your kids see you voting like it's actually important. Make it important.

If Ohio voted 15% blue last election and then votes 25% blue this election, that's significant information that tells people there may be momentum for change.

There may not be a chance of winning this election , but every vote tells people what people want.

If you don't vote, Ohio will always look like it will only ever vote red.

Absolutely. Voting in federal, state, and local elections makes big differences. I've lived in red and blue states, and my votes have personally swayed policy for red and blue states. Some of the stuff I voted for passed on margins as slim as 1,200 votes, in a city of hundreds of thousands of people (guess how many of them voted?)

As a direct result of me voting, my life dramatically improved because my cut bus lines were restored, the feds rebuilt parts of my city, and people were no longer getting arrested on bullshit charges.

Further civic action saved one local park from redevelopment.

So few people actually vote, even fewer with bad takes. So voting can have a profound impact on your life and other's lives. Some of my friends got the right to marry. Some others lost their ability to access healthcare and were forced to move states to access it again. It makes a difference.

This doesn't end with Americans either. You guys worldwide have had a number of extremely close elections, see the list below. Do your civic duty and vote! It can take an hour or less with a bit of research, and has a surprisingly big impact on your life.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_close_election_results

Elections aren't just about the President. That's arguably the least impactful person on the ballot. Look at your local reps running for state positions, find ones you like, they'll have much more impact on your daily life.

If you are voting the opposite of the norm in your area, you are making a bigger impact than the reverse of the situation. Go by county and try to flip yours to blue. If it happens to flip, your vote counts 100%, otherwise you have at least tried and voted. Here is some links to check 2020 results by town or county.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/upshot/2020-election-map.html

https://brilliantmaps.com/2020-county-election-map/

Vote for who you think is the best option. Ohio is a pretty safe Republican state for Trump. I will probably be voting for the Democrat, but you should read up on everyone who is on the ballot and make an informed decision.

Ohio's Electoral College votes are cast for the winner of the state, not per district [1]. Of course you should vote for Biden (or whoever the ultimate candidate against Trump will be)!

[1] - "As a winner-takes-all state, the candidate that wins Ohio gets all 18 Electoral College votes.", https://www.ideastream.org/community/2020-10-21/how-are-ohios-electoral-college-votes-decided

Yes because there are more options than just president, and increasing voter turnout is always advantageous to the left. There are more Democrats than Republicans in America, so 100% voter turnout means no more fascists in office.

I used to live in a red state and would get discouraged but I voted anyway. Don’t think about and go vote because it’s better than being apathetic and doing nothing like most of the country does.

Your vote will factor in to how the EC vote goes for Ohio regardless of what Reps get the vote in your district.

Locally, I suppose even if there is no chance for your district to swing blue, a large showing might have a positive effect getting local Repubs to chill on the fascism. Like maybe get a hint that Ohio residents don't want restrictions on their ballot initiatives.

As long as you have a valid ID and registered voter.. yep <3

While you might be right, it is a civic duty to vote. Your mindset is too dangerous, which is why the right-wing trolls try pushing it. Voting even why you know it won't make a difference is the most basic thing you can do to push back. Who knows what could happen if we get enough people out of that mindset. Simply voting, regardless of who for, is an event that every American should take pride in.

Voting gives you the right to complain. If you don't vote, you lose that right.

We need as many votes against the bad man as possible to help counter his lies about stolen elections. Yes, it matters that hard numbers can be referenced when backing up facts. I don’t like the guy I have to vote for but I’ll still vote for him even in my deeply blue state (Calif)

Might nudge Ohio blue a little. Unlikely to change Ohio's end result, since Vance is from Ohio, but better than not trying.

Find a little pride in doing your part to make the country better.

Every vote for Biden in Steubenville is another vote that somebody in Cleveland doesn't have to counter, so yes, vote.

The electrical vote is state by state (with two states, Maine and Nebraska divying all but two of those votes one per congressional district), so your vote in a swing state matters.

Getting you to feel like your vote is meaningless is how they win.

You should absolutely vote. It should be considered a responsibility by all citizens!