If the political spectrum runs from left to right, with a needle in the middle of whatever a given society finds acceptable, then major parties will align themselves immediately to either side around that needle.
This is how they can get as many votes as possible while differentiating from their opponents.
Your vote moves the needle further left.
Suppose 80% of the popular vote was blue. The republicans would be forced to chase that vote by moving their policies further left. The Dems would have to move even further left to differentiate themselves from the republicans.
Idiots on lemmy yelling you not to vote in order to teach your rep a lesson with your withdrawn support are naive to this well established political science.
By helping reinforce downstream ballot races too. Things start at a local level, look at what school boards and local judges are doing. But besides that it helps show numbers on a national level. Yea the electoral college still decides things but a large popular vote starts making a case against it especially if the electoral college is “close” in numbers.
You shouldn’t just be voting for the presidency and I mean, while you’re there you may as well for no extra effort. But otherwise, The popular vote helps show the opinion of the majority. It might feel like a drop in the ocean, but every ocean is made of drops.
Genuinely wondering, but I’m in a completely blue state. What’s the point of voting for the presidency where I live?
Obviously if I were in a swing state or red state I’d vote though, to be clear.
You can shift the overton window further left.
If the political spectrum runs from left to right, with a needle in the middle of whatever a given society finds acceptable, then major parties will align themselves immediately to either side around that needle.
This is how they can get as many votes as possible while differentiating from their opponents.
Your vote moves the needle further left.
Suppose 80% of the popular vote was blue. The republicans would be forced to chase that vote by moving their policies further left. The Dems would have to move even further left to differentiate themselves from the republicans.
Idiots on lemmy yelling you not to vote in order to teach your rep a lesson with your withdrawn support are naive to this well established political science.
By helping reinforce downstream ballot races too. Things start at a local level, look at what school boards and local judges are doing. But besides that it helps show numbers on a national level. Yea the electoral college still decides things but a large popular vote starts making a case against it especially if the electoral college is “close” in numbers.
You shouldn’t just be voting for the presidency and I mean, while you’re there you may as well for no extra effort. But otherwise, The popular vote helps show the opinion of the majority. It might feel like a drop in the ocean, but every ocean is made of drops.