The excitement of the primaries got me thinking of the first time I ever voted, both locally and Presidential.

In 1977, the first year I was eligible to vote, I voted for Mario Cuomo against Ed Koch in the New York City Mayoralty election. Koch had beaten Cuomo in the democratic primary, but Cuomo ran against him in the general election anyway. He got his ass handed to him nearly two-and-a-half to one.

In 1980, my first Presidential vote was cast for a then 69 years young fella by the name of Ronald Reagan. In my opinion he was probably the best president that I ever cast a vote for.

Anyone remember their first time?

Reagan '84 -- He won every state except for Minnesota and (freakin') Washington, D.C.

Reagan 1980.

Fritz, Fritz, Fritz!!!

Mine was also Reagan in 1980.

In another thread I mentioned that my first vote in 1982 went to Allen Ertel for governor, and 20 years later he and I had a case together .

For my first presidential vote, I voted for Walter Mondale in 1984. I knew he didn't have a prayer.

I'm so old that I can't remember? Who ran in 72??? I think perhaps that was my first election. Don't feel like checking. I know it wasn't Lincoln though.


TIS

Nixon was re-elected in '72.

Well I know I didn't vote for Nixon. Was it McGovern who ran against him??????



TIS

I've been able to vote for nearly three years, and still haven't.

Capo, Why? Are you unmotivated? Do you not care? Are you just too lazy? Too disinterested?

I don't know about the UK, but I have always been shocked at the lack of interest in voting here in the U.S. Granted, I don't always like the candidates, and have, at times held my nose choosing the lesser of two evils. I get tired of the throat slashing ads, and I don't agree with our electoral college/courts deciding the election, but I have always voted, feeling it was not only a right but a duty.
Yet, I must say, I can understand why many feel as though their vote doesn't matter...especially when the popular vote doesn't matter.

TIS

same here, turned 18 in 2002 and still havn't voted. Im voting BNP next time

I always felt that if you couldn't be bothered to take part in the process, then you haven't earned the right to complain.

Amen to that.

Its not that i cant be bothered, thers no party worth voting for they promise things they will do when they get into power and then don't. All polititions are crooks .

That's true SB, but why do you suppose our voter turn-out here in the U.S. is what 40 per cent or something like that??? Why aren't people voting?? Any speculations on the reasons?

TIS

It really is amazing.

I always though the criminal element might have something to do with it, but did you know that felons are allowed to vote in most states?

As long as they're not incarcerated or currently on parole, they can vote here in New York.

Really? I never knew that.

I know that years ago people didn't register to vote because they supposedly used registration rolls for jury summonses. My daughter is able to vote in this presidential election, and by chance she had civics this year. She had to watch many of the debates as assignments, so she's been involved in the race from the start. I think the timing was perfect, as she is completely involved in her first election.

Here's an interesting article on the subject.

Felons Voting Rights

My first vote was absentee ballott for Reagan '84

Edmund Muskie.

Nixon - McGovern. That was my first presidential election.

I have always voted but i seriously can't remember my first vote

I know it was'nt a General election,possibly a local council vote.
Does'nt matter who got my vote either,they are all crooks in one way or another...

Come to think of it, in 4th Grade we had a mock election and I voted for Ford over Carter... does that count?

We had the same election Geoffy but I voted for Carter cuz that's who my parents voted for.

My son will also be voting, for the first time, in this years Presidential election SB.

It reminds me of when I first voted. As I said earlier it was in 1980 which happened to be a Presidential election year and I voted for Reagan. I had followed the campaigns and debates that entire year. Come to think of it, with what had happened to our country, our economy, the oil crisis, and the hostage situation, most people were probably caught up in that years presidential debates, campagins and the race in general. The country was at a really really bad time back then, and the moral of the people was at an all time historic low. Thank goodness for three things that happpened : Hockey Team USA beat the Russians and went on to win the gold in the Olympics ( that was a serious moral booster for our country and it's people), Ronald Reagan knocked Jimmy Carter out of office and on inauguration day, the hostages were released!

Doesn't it seem like only last week that these events took place?

I agree in a way; I'm of the 'philosophy' that - the age I am and the situation I'm in - whoever is in charge won't make a significant difference to my life. Whatever complaints I might (or do) have, won't be solved by the candidates available.

I went through a brief phase of attraction to the BNP, but I'm afraid I can't relate to them much now. They don't do themselves any favours; whatever qualms they might have about the country's policy on immigrants - and how that in turn leads to cheap labour and a lot of people being out of jobs all of a sudden because foreigners replace them for cheaper - are marred by outright fascism and (to be frank) quite "thick" policies. The BNP is run by quite stupid people, really. If they ever got in office, the social xenophobia with which they got their position could be quite dangerous.

Briefly for us Americans, what's BNP and what's the alternative?