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

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.

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.

I live in Nebraska and I feel the same way. I go out and vote in every election because that’s my civic duty, if the majority of people in your area with our same feeling actually went out and vote it is possible to become a swing state.

That being said my personal opinion is if you don’t vote you forfeit your right to complain about politics. You didn’t voice your opinion when it was important, so you shouldn’t voice it when it’s not.

Edit: spelling

Yes! Downballot offices usually have a greater effect on your life than higher ones, in fact.

And I guarantee you that if every voter who thought their vote didn’t count went out and voted, they damn well would count. The turnout last election was 46% of elligible voters. 46%! Half of us who could vote, didn’t! 53% is enough to swing any state.

A vote for Biden is a vote against trump Where as a vote for no one is a vote that benefits trump because there’s no one voting against him

Yes it absolutely makes a difference. Also make sure you are voting in all elections, local elections are just as important as the national elections.

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.

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.

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)

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

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

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

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.