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I am disenfranchised.
Author: TriSec
Date: 10/19/2024 16:28:11
And yes, I live in the bluest state in the Union.
But that's precisely why I am disenfranchised. Let's start right out of the gate with the impossible scenario; me voting for the Republican Candidate. While it seems an act of rebellion in this Commonwealth, any of those votes are immediately irrelevant. Oh, they count and are counted, but they are meaningless thanks to a peculiarity of the US Electoral system.
Massachusetts currently has 11 Electoral College votes. It's based on the census figures, and is generally the same as the number of representatives in Congress. But, because of the "all or nothing" system in this state and many others, all a candidate needs is 50% plus one to capture all of those votes. That means those voters for the other party, whoever it may be, are generally out of luck in this Commonwealth, and have been for decades.
Because of the endless cycle of presumed victory, Massachusetts has not been a player on the national stage for a very long time. In addition to that, I find that having elections be a foregone conclusion along party lines, it tends to breed indifference among the voters and even among the candidates. We are the least competitive state out of all of them.
You'd think this would be a good thing, but it's not. The indifference of the electorate permeates to all levels. I can state we're barely paying attention to the election at all around here. Of course, no national candidate has actually campaigned here, but President Biden, VP Harris, and Mr. Walz have made frequent visits to partake of the fundraising opportunities.
Don't get me wrong; I'll still show up. I'll still vote. But it really feels like a pointless effort this time around, as the outcome of the election in this Commonwealth has long been pre-determined.
But that's precisely why I am disenfranchised. Let's start right out of the gate with the impossible scenario; me voting for the Republican Candidate. While it seems an act of rebellion in this Commonwealth, any of those votes are immediately irrelevant. Oh, they count and are counted, but they are meaningless thanks to a peculiarity of the US Electoral system.
Massachusetts currently has 11 Electoral College votes. It's based on the census figures, and is generally the same as the number of representatives in Congress. But, because of the "all or nothing" system in this state and many others, all a candidate needs is 50% plus one to capture all of those votes. That means those voters for the other party, whoever it may be, are generally out of luck in this Commonwealth, and have been for decades.
Because of the endless cycle of presumed victory, Massachusetts has not been a player on the national stage for a very long time. In addition to that, I find that having elections be a foregone conclusion along party lines, it tends to breed indifference among the voters and even among the candidates. We are the least competitive state out of all of them.
WORCESTER – Elections for the state legislature in Massachusetts are the least competitive in the United States, according to a study by Ballotpedia, a non-profit organization that provides election information via its website.
In six of the last eight election cycles, Massachusetts has been the least competitive state. The state also had the second largest decrease in competitiveness (33%) only behind Rhode Island (47%), according to Ballotpedia.
In the Massachusetts House of Representatives, of 163 races, 30 have both a Democrat and a Republican running. There are 19 incumbents running for reelection in those 30 races, which includes 14 Democrat incumbents and five are Republicans.
Of the 163 races, 21 include an independent or third-party candidate. Of those 21 races, five have both a Democrat and Republican on the ballot. Independent or third-party candidates are up against incumbents in 11 of those races.
There are 104 Democrats running uncontested, with 99 of them incumbents. There are 14 Republicans running uncontested, with 13 of them incumbents.
Of the 19 House of Representative Districts in the Worcester area, three have both a Democrat and a Republican running, with two including a Democrat incumbent and one a Republican incumbent.
There are three additional races with independent or third-party candidate, all challenging incumbents, including two Republicans and one Democrat.
You'd think this would be a good thing, but it's not. The indifference of the electorate permeates to all levels. I can state we're barely paying attention to the election at all around here. Of course, no national candidate has actually campaigned here, but President Biden, VP Harris, and Mr. Walz have made frequent visits to partake of the fundraising opportunities.
Don't get me wrong; I'll still show up. I'll still vote. But it really feels like a pointless effort this time around, as the outcome of the election in this Commonwealth has long been pre-determined.
