What motivates people in "safe" states to vote?

[Jacobtm]

I live in NY. Our electoral college votes will go to Obama. I see no reason to vote unless as a protest vote for a candidate who obviously won’t win. In that case, it's just a show of sentiment against the two major parties.

I assume anyone voting for Romney or Obama though legitimately hopes their candidate will win. But anyone in NY who votes for Obama or Romney has no effect at all on their chances to win. And yet, NY is only safe for Obama because millions of people will indeed show up to vote for Obama. 

Do you vote D or R in a “safe” state? What motivates you when you know your vote won’t matter?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Something about participating in the democratic process.

[SPC]

Same reason people vote in "swing" states: ignorance of the Prisoner's Dilemma

[Kushahontas]

downballot races could be decided by a few votes (like my state rep who won by 12 votes in 2010), and the fact that it only really takes 10 minutes of your time.

[dead0man]

There are other things to vote for besides President.

[7,052,770]

My vote is just as likely to "matter" as anyone's in any other state.  It's not ever going to be a 1-vote margin.

[Badger]

Something about participating in the democratic process.

The process has become so corrupt, I'd hardly consider it democratic.  And where economics are concerned, it's not democratic at all.

So this idea that we live in a "democracy" is a fallacy.

How very, very profound.

[Linus Van Pelt]

Amidst all the complexities of both psychology and rational choice theory, I think most people have a basic intuitive sense that it's good to co-operate rather than defect in a collective action problem (even though of course they wouldn't phrase it that way). And that's a good thing.

[Spanish Moss]

Something about participating in the democratic process.

The process has become so corrupt, I'd hardly consider it democratic.  And where economics are concerned, it's not democratic at all.

So this idea that we live in a "democracy" is a fallacy.

How very, very profound.

It wasn't.  It was an observation.

[J. J.]

I live in NY. Our electoral college votes will go to Obama. I see no reason to vote unless as a protest vote for a candidate who obviously won’t win. In that case, it's just a show of sentiment against the two major parties.

I assume anyone voting for Romney or Obama though legitimately hopes their candidate will win. But anyone in NY who votes for Obama or Romney has no effect at all on their chances to win. And yet, NY is only safe for Obama because millions of people will indeed show up to vote for Obama. 

Do you vote D or R in a “safe” state? What motivates you when you know your vote won’t matter?

I think everyone voting for Obama in NY and PA should stay home; your votes won't be needed. 

[Zioneer]

I vote more for the few downballot races I'll be able to affect, than I vote for president.

[AkSaber]

A sense of civic duty is my guess.

Or a sense of being included in something very large.

[Franzl]

Why do I pay 2€ to send my absentee ballot back? Objectively irrational, but I do it anyway...

[minionofmidas]

Few people live where there's no interesting race.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Something about participating in the democratic process.

The process has become so corrupt, I'd hardly consider it democratic.  And where economics are concerned, it's not democratic at all.

So this idea that we live in a "democracy" is a fallacy.

What you think is irrelevant. Point is, I suspect that's how a majority of the electorate in 'safe' states see things, in one form or another.

[Bacon King]

My mom's always said, "If you don't vote, you can't complain," which I think has some merit to it.

[Platypus]

My seat isn't as safe as it once was, but beyond the feeling of not wanting to be fined, I think I owe it to my country to make an active choice in it's governance.

[Mechaman]

My mom's always said, "If you don't vote, you can't complain," which I think has some merit to it.

So does the saying "If you did vote, you can't complain", which is what my uncle always said.  Granted, he's a bit of a nut but considering the utter lack of good in politicians now days, I think it's a bit more accurate summation.

[Spanish Moss]

My mom's always said, "If you don't vote, you can't complain," which I think has some merit to it.

So does the saying "If you did vote, you can't complain", which is what my uncle always said.  Granted, he's a bit of a nut but considering the utter lack of good in politicians now days, I think it's a bit more accurate summation.

I think that really only applies if you voted for the people maintaining the corporate oligarchic system.

[justW353]

My mom's always said, "If you don't vote, you can't complain," which I think has some merit to it.

So does the saying "If you did vote, you can't complain", which is what my uncle always said.  Granted, he's a bit of a nut but considering the utter lack of good in politicians now days, I think it's a bit more accurate summation.

I've only been lurking around for a bit, but I have to say, this guy is a trip.

I think that really only applies if you voted for the people maintaining the corporate oligarchic system.

[Spanish Moss]

Something about participating in the democratic process.

The process has become so corrupt, I'd hardly consider it democratic.  And where economics are concerned, it's not democratic at all.

So this idea that we live in a "democracy" is a fallacy.

What you think is irrelevant.

What any of us think is irrelevant.  It's action - doing what we can to make the world a better, more peaceful place that counts.

[muon2]

This seems like a strange question on multiple levels.

First of all it assumes that the only reason to vote is to vote for president. Others have already mentioned the many down-ballot races. It is true that the race for president draws a larger turnout than other contests, but part of that is the media attention to the race drawing more to the event. Evidence for that is to look at the extra votes in down-ballot races, if the extra voters were only coming out to vote for president there wouldn't be the larger turnout on down-ballot races, too.

Political scientists have studied voting motivation, and I can only mention some of the many factors they have identified. These include civic duty, support for an individual, loyalty to a party, and support for a specific issue. Some of those voters will know that their vote alone won't influence the race, but the ability to exercise their right to vote supersedes that knowledge. There are also many voters who know little about the workings of the electoral college and don't vote with any knowledge about whether their state is presumed a lock for one of the candidates.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Something about participating in the democratic process.

The process has become so corrupt, I'd hardly consider it democratic.  And where economics are concerned, it's not democratic at all.

So this idea that we live in a "democracy" is a fallacy.

What you think is irrelevant.

What any of us think is irrelevant.  It's action - doing what we can to make the world a better, more peaceful place that counts.

o.k.

[Yelnoc]

It does not cost anything and makes people feel good about themselves.

[TJ in Oregon]

I vote not because I feel my vote will be decisive but because if everyone decided not to it wouldn't work.