Who is ending the campaign season early?

**Mikelus Trento** · October 19, 2008, 10:39 PM

Early voting for the US 2008 Presidential election begins tomorrow in many states.

Where I live, in Texas, is one of them. I've got a light morning, and the voting station is not far. I know events may radically change the world before election day, but I feel that anything likely won't alter my choice. And the rhetoric has through repitition and meaningless agendas become moot to me.

Although I live in a VERY Republican county, it is just north of the most Democratic city in very Republican Texas....Austin. In my county, and in my state, my vote will mean nothing, other than adding into a meaningless national total and to salve myself as expressing my wishes.

I am drained this election season more than normal, have felt more passion, but my candidate has remained in harmony with my vision of a leader since I first began to seriously look at him, as the field narrowed to he, Edwards, and Clinton.

**Big War Bird** · October 19, 2008, 10:56 PM

In Georgia, voting has been going on for a couple weeks. I have jury duty tomorrow and the county polling place is at the courthouse, so I'm gonna try then.

**zznɟ ǝɥʇ** · October 19, 2008, 11:03 PM

Early voting started in the counties north of Chicago last week, and in some places, the week before that. I'll vote Nov 4 I think.

**Mikelus Trento** · October 20, 2008, 08:53 AM

Well, my voting duty is done.

I have not felt so good voting for a candidate in many a year.

**touchmaster** · October 20, 2008, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by Mikelus Trento

Well, my voting duty is done.

I have not felt so good voting for a candidate in many a year.

w00t!

Uncle Sam congrats you mate!

**The Dude** · October 20, 2008, 09:57 AM

Just curious, as I'm not too familiar with the whole US voting system, but isn't it a system where you don't actually vote for the candidate, but rather vote for a guy who promises to vote for a candidate? Yet at the same time, the whole system is based on a "winner takes all" system? So if for example 70% of texas' voteguys (I'm not sure what their official name is XD) vote McCain then the voice of the other 30% just gets discarded?

**Mikelus Trento** · October 20, 2008, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by The Dude

Just curious, as I'm not too familiar with the whole US voting system, but isn't it a system where you don't actually vote for the candidate, but rather vote for a guy who promises to vote for a candidate? Yet at the same time, the whole system is based on a "winner takes all" system? So if for example 70% of texas' voteguys (I'm not sure what their official name is XD) vote McCain then the voice of the other 30% just gets discarded?

Most states the winner of the popular vote wins ALL the electoral votes for that state (which is the combined number of Senators (always 2/state) and Representatives it has (which is always at least 2, but the total number based on that state's population)). A few states divide the electorals up in proportion to the population...I THINK just 2 or 3.

**Samuel Adams** · October 20, 2008, 10:33 AM

Yes Dude, its a system meant to avoid any potential tyrants that would exploit a simple majority vote system. There's lots of history involved, it basically was meant to give a second tier of votes that would prevent a mass vote by a demagogue rallied people in any case, you'll have to read up on it for more detail, though.