How do you choose who to vote for?

[Wilfire]

Here are some generic approaches to choosing who to vote for during elections:

Literalism - left-wing politics are progressive while right-wing politics are conservative. Make your choice based on whether you think the status quo should be maintained or changes should be made.

Principilism - vote for the candidate who's the most aligned with your ethical and moral principles.

Rationalism - vote for the candidate who best represents your stance on political issues after thoroughly studying both those issues and every candidate's stance on them.

Effectiveness - similar to rationalism but research only the issues that you deem the most pressing, e.g. vote for the candidate who pledges to combat climate change instead of researching the entire bundle of policies they support.

Interest - vote for the candidate who's the most convenient for your personal interests.

Tribalism - vote for *your* side.

Indifference - don't vote at all.

Randomness - vote completely at random.

Which approach do you follow when it comes to elections? Do you have a completely different approach compared to the generic ones described in this post? Do you think there is one superior approach that would ensure the best outcome if everyone followed it?

[Thekri]

I know it is a Wilfire thread, so it is obviously bait, but the question is actually useful when it comes to lesser known local candidates. I was struggling with this myself a couple months ago, trying to figure out how to responsibly vote for Sheriff, Coroner, City Councilmen, and a local Judge. None of these figures have much media presence even as incumbents, and their challengers are really hard to research. Often the only information I could find on them is their campaign social media account (Usually just facebook), which is obviously a pretty biased source full of empty platitudes. Aside from a few easily identified lunatics, most of their campaign promises are just promises to do exactly what that job description is.

A Coroner promises to run an office that is efficient, responsive, and helpful to the community. Well great, obviously we want a coroner to do those things, I have no idea which of the two candidates would be better at that. None of the OPs approaches really apply here, except the randomness and indifference ones, neither of which strike me as very responsible. I wound up leaving Coroner blank, because I just couldn't rationalize either vote. The rest I did come to some decision with, but it was quite a few hours of research for a small local election.

[Antiganon]

I follow a flow chart.

1. Is there an incumbent that I want to lose? Does my dislike for the incumbent outweigh other considerations? Vote for the candidate most likely to oust them.

2. Is this a primary election? Vote for whoever is closest to my ideology and preferred platform.

3. Is this a general election? Vote for whoever is least far from my ideology and preferred platform.

In all cases, research the candidates first, and make informed decisions. Voting matters, we should stop treating it like a game.

[Adam Jensen]

Normally its: "Which candidate fits the most of my issues?"

This election its: "which candidate isn't a fucking moron who thinks injecting bleach into lungs is an appropriate treatment for coronavirus?"

[Ivanstone]

This thread should be about what flavour of independent the OP thinks or pretends to be.

We know he's a tribalist but isn't especially proud of it.

[Milchshake]

Reading this ... Ima vote for the party that bans homeschooling.

[Lenonis]

Well, I used to consider each candidate's experience and positions and vote accordingly with a heavy bias for third parties in local races (as I firmly believe the way to build third party viability starts locally. No cutting to the front of the line kids).

Then the GOP decided to lose their marbles and become a party that caters to the worst of us. So now I do the same but automatically exclude anyone with an R. I'll consider voting for republican candidates again when the party decides to stop being awful.

[Elegiac]

Reading this ... Ima vote for the party that bans homeschooling.

Homeschooling and private schooling. *sips tea as the workers' anthem plays in the background*

[Saltysquidoon]

I vote in a safe seat (so safe that the other major party doesn't even run in it) that hasn't changed hands in literally over 100 years. Because of that, it is effectively irrelevant who I vote for in the lower house.

Because of that I always vote for third parties in the upper house so as to intentionally weaken the sitting government and make them more inclined to make deals to pass legislation.

[Shadowferal]

Reading this ... Ima vote for the party that bans homeschooling.

That's a tough sell this year

[Aucald]

I assume everyone basically votes for the candidate who shares the majority of their own positions on important matters, ranked by the importance of those issues in the mind of the voter. I do understand there are single-issue voters out there, but I like to assume that's mostly down to the fact that their single issue is simply ranked in such a way that the other issues are inconsequential comparatively. I don't really understand single-issue voters all the much, and anecdotally I've noticed many of them vote against their own interests when it comes to the issues they aren't hyper-fixated on.

I don't like labels, myself, which is why I remain a true independent to this day. Of course other people classify me in many different ways - and my politics are a melange of different views and beliefs, ultimately united by a common thread.

[Ghostpanther]

According to your chart of choices, I am a Rationalist.

[Katie N]

The people you can vote for are decided by the communist party. It doesn't really matter who you vote for, the result will always be the same policies.

[Kellhound]

I vote for the person I think is likely to cause the least harm to my interests. It has been many years since i voted for someone, its pretty much voting against the other candidates anymore.

[Dezerte]

I vote for the party that most closely adheres to my beliefs.

[ati87]

Direction I want my country to go to.
I live in a multiparty system and until our last election I;ve voted for our "labour party" which frankly has been so afraid to be called "party of foreigners" by the right-wing that they stopped following there own believes.
Now I'm voting for the green part, sure I will never be a vegetarian (bit of a hyperbole here) but in the end they do represent the direction I believe we should go to.

Just to put some context, we have a center right-wing government since 2000 and people keep on complaining about how things are becoming more "expensive".

[Nastard]

Whichever candidate has the nicest hair.

[Gaidax]

I vote for whoever will benefit me most, I don't care much about anything else. I got over voting for pretty ideas and happiness in the world, it always ended up with disappointment.

[Macd123aw]

Policies.

Because I'm a sensible centre right leaning voter.

Left wing voters will vote for personality first and foremost.

Left wing voters under authoritarianism have their votes forced upon them, North Korean style.

[unfilteredJW]

Policies.

Because I'm a sensible centre right leaning voter.

Left wing voters will vote for personality first and foremost.

Left wing voters under authoritarianism have their votes forced upon them, North Korean style.

I don't think you understand what the word sensible means.