Vote

On Nov 4th 2008, I gave my vote away. No really, I did!

This was a skeptical experiment, intended to inspire questions and enquiry about voting.

PENN JILLETTE’s e-mail response to this video:
“I watched it. It’s really nice. I’m so flattered that I inspired you.

I don’t think lobbyists really buy votes and I don’t think lobbyists are evil, but this is a cool video. Thanks.

Penn”

What DEREK of SKEPTICALITY podcast had to say:
“[...]the video is a really good ‘lesson’ on some of the nitpicks with our election system. Great job man!”

The idea for this short was inspired by the following:

-In July of this year, University of Minnesota student Max P. Sanders put his vote up for sale on Ebay. Sanders was brought up on a Felony charge: one count of bribery, treating and soliciting under an 1893 state law that makes it a crime to offer to buy or sell a vote. If found guilty, he faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Im not saying that what he did was right or wrong, I mean on the one hand, people have fought and died to give you a vote, so how dare you belittle that by trying to sell it, but on the other hand People have fought and died to give you a vote and if you cant sell it then its not really yours, and all those people died in vein. (http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/04/ebay.vote.ap/index.html)

-And lets not forget that Congressmen sell their votes all the time to Lobbyists in what is known as Campaign Financing and no, they dont go to jailThey get re-elected.

-The Max P. Sanders case was first brought to my attention by an episode of PennSays. Penn made the interesting and inspiring point that a Vote, like sex, was another thing that was legal to give away, but illegal to sell. I wanted to test this theory. Turns out Penn Jillette was right!

On Nov 4, 2008 I gave my vote to James Knox-Davies

Skeptical Resources:

http://www.skeptic.com/

Read it, share it, live it!

http://www.skepticality.com/

You can call me a groupie of Swoopy

http://www.randi.org

James Randi Proves that you dont have to be supernatural to be Amazing.

http://www.discovery.com/mythbusters

When you want your Skepticism with a Bang!

http://www.michaelshermer.com/

No pseudo-science is safe from this man

http://www.pennandteller.com/

Leaving these two out would be Bullshit!

Duration : 0:5:19

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What would happen to you if police caught you on video fraudulently voting? Would cops quickly arrest you and throw you in jail, only to have the District Attorney immediately charge you with fraud?

What would happen to elected government officials if they were caught doing the same? Absolutely nothing?

In fact, our representatives in the U.S. government have become so brazen, that they commit fraud in plain view, on a daily basis, while at the same time trying to pass laws that would further restrict and criminalize the public for doing the same.

This is a clear sign of excessive government, when the government is so large and overwhelmingly powerful that it’s agents can abuse the civilian population without any sense of guilt, remorse, or fear – when government officials deny charges of illegal conduct made against themselves as a matter of semantics, and when agents of the government expect and get immunity from any of their actions; actions that would be criminally prosecuted upon any other citizens.

The few standing up for freedom, liberty, and the Constitution, such as Congressman Ron Paul, who has been called the Thomas Jefferson of our day, are the only hope for America; the only hope for returning our empire-sized government to it’s proper Constitutional levels of national defense, upholding the law, and protecting the rights of the people and individual liberties.

There’s been a lot of debate at the State Capitol on bills relating to voter integrity. Some lawmakers are pushing for measures such as requiring voters to show a photo identification before being allowed to cast a ballot. Another bill would criminalize anyone who delivers a ballot for someone unable to drive to the polls. With so much emphasis on one vote for one person, you’d think lawmakers would make sure they follow the rules, too.

In this CBS 42 Investigates, Nanci Wilson found many don’t. State Representative Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball, authored the bill that would require voters to show a photo ID. “It’s all about integrity,” Riddle said. But the integrity of one person, one vote doesn’t apply at the legislature. CBS 42 found many lawmakers vote more than once. During a vote, Riddle votes, turns around and votes again for another state representative. There’s so much going on during the vote on the HPV vaccine mandate, you really have to pay attention. First, State Rep. Mike Hamilton is at his desk. He leans over to vote a second time for his deskmate Dan Branch. Hamilton reaches back to vote for Charlie Howard, then casts a fourth vote for Wayne Smith. He’s not the only one scrambling to vote. State Rep. G.E. West and State Rep. Larry Phillips both lean over to vote for themselves and their deskmates. Phillips votes a third time for State Rep. Wayne Christian. Donna Howard votes for State Rep. Hubert Vo.

State Rep. Jim Dunnam didn’t have to leave his chair to cast four votes–one for himself then for Garnet Coleman, Trey Martinez Fischer and Marc Veasey.

Sometimes the voting is across party lines. Will Hartnett, a Republican, reaches back to vote for Democrat Rene Oliveira. Democrat Jim McReynolds votes for Republican Kirk England, and Republican John Davis votes for Democrat Rick Noriega. Most voters have no way of knowing if their lawmakers are actually casting their own votes. Even though the legislature is broadcast on cable TV, the cameras change when it’s time to vote. But if you’re sitting in the third floor gallery, you have a better view. “I certainly noticed. There appears to be far more votes on the tick board than there were people in the room,” capitol visitor Laurel Weiss said. Arnie and Laurel Weiss were baffled when they came to see the legislature in action. “It seems very inappropriate and they should do something about it,” Arnie Weiss said.

Riddle says voting for other members is done out of necessity. “We have a lot of amendments,” Riddle said. “We don’t have lunch breaks, dinner breaks, restroom breaks.” Necessity or not, one thing is clear, they aren’t supposed to be doing it. According to the official House rules–written, voted and approved by lawmakers at the beginning of the session–”Any member found guilty by the House of knowingly voting for another member on the voting machine shall be subject to discipline deemed appropriate by the House.”

So, should lawmakers do it? “No, there’s no question,” Weiss said. “On face value it appears to be a blatant violation, an affront, of their own rules.” It is against their own rules. But the issue is with enforcement. It is the speaker’s job to make sure rules are followed. When CBS 42 asked Speaker of the House Tom Craddick’s spokesperson about it, she just shrugged her shoulders and said it was up to the House members to decide what do to if there’s a violation. Although the practice is widespread, CBS 42 couldn’t find any instances of lawmakers being disciplined for voting more than once.

Duration : 0:3:57

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Intimidation as the Voting Polls

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Leonardo DiCaprio, will i. am, Tobey Maguire, and Forest Whitaker have created public service announcements to encourage American youth to register to vote. The non-partisan PSAs, produced by DiCaprios Appian Way, were created to engage and inspire young people to register and vote and participate in the upcoming election. Celebrities appearing in the PSAs include: Amy Adams, will.i.am, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Bacon, Halle Berry, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Connolly, Courteney Cox, Ellen DeGeneres, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Jonah Hill, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Kiedis, Ashton Kutcher, Adam Levine, Laura Linney, Eva Longoria, Tobey Maguire, Demi Moore, Natalie Portman, Giovanni Ribisi, Ethan Suplee, Kyra Sedgwick, Michelle Trachtenberg, Usher, and Forest Whitaker.

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Rachel: In January 1964, the 24th Amendment to the Constitution abolished the poll tax. A poll tax was a fee you had to pay at the time of voting. No money, no vote. So, rich people voted, poor people didn’t. 44 years later, we have a sort of poll tax: long lines. Long lines. How many hours did it “cost” you to vote? 2? 4? 6? How much income did you lose? So, you need the money, or if you can’t take the long wait, guess what? You don’t vote. You want to vote, but you can’t afford to. Nonvoters in Ohio, 2004, cost John Kerry the Presidency…Obama voters, no matter what, no matter how long, please, please don’t go home. Wait as long as you have to. But do NOT go home without casting your vote…Vote, then go home. VOTE. VOTE… It is time for CHANGE. We, the People have the POWER to make that CHANGE. The Ballot. Vote Bush and his Republican pals out of office. America can’t have 4 MORE years, the SAME as the last 4 with the failed Bush-McCain failed policies…VOTE THE BUMS OUT!

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Don’t forget to register to vote!! October 6th is the deadline for most states. For more info go to barackobama.com.

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Ghanaians are voting in their fifth general election amid concerns that robust economic growth has done little to improve standards of living.

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More Intimidation at the Voting Polls

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Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Snoop Dogg, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Ben Stiller, Will Smith, Steven Spielberg, Justin Timberlake, along with Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat, Zach Braff, Colin Farrell, Neil Patrick Harris, Scarlett Johansson, Shia LeBeouf, Tobey Maguire, Ryan Reynolds, and Jason Segal, are featured in a second of a series of public service announcements to encourage American youth to vote in partnership with Google, YouTube, Declare Yourself, and MySpace. The non-partisan PSAs, produced by DiCaprios Appian Way, were created to engage and inspire young people to vote and participate in the upcoming election.

Duration : 0:4:47

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Leonardo DiCaprio, will i. am, Tobey Maguire, and Forest Whitaker have created public service announcements to encourage American youth to register to vote. The non-partisan PSAs, produced by DiCaprios Appian Way, were created to engage and inspire young people to register and vote and participate in the upcoming election. Celebrities appearing in the PSAs include: Amy Adams, will.i.am, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Bacon, Halle Berry, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Connolly, Courteney Cox, Ellen DeGeneres, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Jonah Hill, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Kiedis, Ashton Kutcher, Adam Levine, Laura Linney, Eva Longoria, Tobey Maguire, Demi Moore, Natalie Portman, Giovanni Ribisi, Ethan Suplee, Kyra Sedgwick, Michelle Trachtenberg, Usher, and Forest Whitaker.

Duration : 0:4:46

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