Why Your Vote Doesn't Count
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN's go-to explainer for why FPTP leads to a two-party system, linked in countless voting-reform and US politics threads.
What it is
CGP Grey explains first-past-the-post voting and why it pushes elections toward two dominant parties. It is the first in his series on electoral systems.
Recommended by 10 HN commenters across 10 different months, 2015 to 2025.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec polymatter · 2015-04 · on “Massive, Illicit Bust of Edward Snowden Stuck to a War Monument in Brooklyn”
I highly recommend the following CGP Grey video for further detail about the problems of First Past the Post voting ( [this video] ). > But instead we have FPTP, and why? Its the simplest and most naive electoral system so Joe Bloggs understands it. Its just "the person who gets the most votes wins". The problems this system causes are ephemeral statistical problems that require more than a 10 second soundbite to explain or even to detect happening. So from Joe Bloggs point of view, you want to change his fundamental right to vote based on the fact that your intellectual busywork has concluded that the wrong person can win the election. That's how the UK failed to get Alternative Vote passed in 2
Recommends Quanticles · 2015-01 · on “EFF Wins Battle Over Secret Legal Opinions on Government Spying”
C.G.P. Grey has an entire series on why our voting system forces a two-party system. The issue isn't getting your neighbour to change their voting habits, the issue is changing the system: [this video]
Recommends npizzolato · 2015-11 · on “Lessig Ends Presidential Campaign”
Ideologically, from a single voter's perspective, you're right. But practically, and looking at the entire population, it's not. The first past the post voting system we use will always result in two prominent parties, and the spoiler effect certainly exists. I've always found this video a good explanation of the problems of our voting system [this video]
Recommends nunyabuizness · 2016-03 · on “The New Mind Control – The internet has spawned subtle forms of influence”
Also, this CGP Grey video explains how a first-past-the-post voting system all-but-guarantees a two party system to emerge over time: [this video]
Recommends Faark · 2019-01 · on “Brexit Deal Fails in Parliament”
At that point you're basically discussion voting systems. Using first-past-the-post with three options, two of them being breixt, would heavily rig the vote towards remain. Improving voting systems would be great (especially looking at the US, if you ever want more than two real parties), but doing it on the back of such an important decision would be problematic at best. Here is a cutesy video for those new to FPTP voting issues: [this video]
Recommends viklove · 2021-04 · on “Ted Chiang: Fears of Technology Are Fears of Capitalism”
Check out this video, it helps explain why diversity of thought has little to do with the number of political parties that form in a system. [this video] Dem/Rep are just two big coalitions in the US, and with first past the post voting, it's nearly impossible to have more than two parties in the long term.
Recommends reedjosh · 2021-05 · on “Italian seaside residents hit with bygone feudal tax”
I like CGP Grey on this issue. [this video] I completely agree as far as voting methods are concerned and do think it would be a better system, but I still don't like giving a group of people rights to commit acts considered immoral when done by an individual.
Recommends paretoman · 2021-06 · on “What is ranked-choice voting and why is New York using it?”
Okay, one more from Justin because it is a video: [LINK] Of course, everyone already knows CGP Grey's videos, right? .. wait.. nobody's posted it yet? OK, here's his whole video set: [this video]