With the Democratic National Convention gearing up today, we're about to really launch into the presidential election season here in the US. In an effort to reach out to the 18-30 year old demographic, notorious for low registration rate, Rock the Vote has teamed up with Microsoft to bring the election into homes via Xbox Live. Users of the service will be able to register to vote, participate in polling and sound off to the candidates.
I haven't seen anything in action yet, either on my console or at Xbox.com, though the service is supposed to be available starting today. It sounds like a good idea, since it's pretty obvious that the core audience of the 360 fits well with the demographic that Rock the Vote targets, but I wonder how many people will go through the effort to fill out registration forms. I know that there's no way in hell that I'd try to type in my personal details using the dashboard with a standard controller, so participation may wind up being limited to those with USB keyboards or text messaging kits.
If I could be allowed to get on a soapbox for a moment here, I take voting extremely seriously. While I recognize that everybody has the right to not participate in the process, I really can't think of anything more irresponsible than a failure to make even this most modest gesture towards telling our elected officials what we expect from them. If you are of voting age, I urge you to please, please register to vote if you haven't already and then turn out on election day.
Conrad Zimmerman is Destructoid's News Editor and home to the busiest mustache in the gaming press. An amateur historian and pop culture fanatic, Conrad possesses a nearly limitless wealth of videogame factoids and a passion for the power of games to teach, inspire and entertain. He enjoys reading, writing and turning things which should be fun into work.
Likes
Mega Man 2, Arcade Games, Books about games, Board games, Having cultural interests that aren't games
Meet the rest of the team
| BBcode help |
| [b]Bold text[/b] |
Bold text |
| [i]Italic text[/i] |
Italic text |
| [url]http://www.dtoid.com/[/url] |
http://www.dtoid.com |
| [url=http://www.dtoid.com/]Web link[/url] |
Web link |
|
| [img]http://www.example.com/robot.jpg[/img] |
 |
Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
32 comments | showing # 1 to 32
|
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
Comments policy
Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?
Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!
Contest:
10:25 AM on 08.25.2008
| 
Damn racists.
In my years as a registered voter, I have found the voting process to be ineffectual and an inconvenience.
Hey, maybe your politicians over there can actually get things done and listen to their voting constituents?
clearly you do not follow US politics :)
They do get things done we have just have had 8 years of a shitty president who has fucked our country in the asshole for his own personal vendetta.
Yeah, McCain reminds me of that old TV show called V. If he gets elected he'll pull off his white papery skin and reveal his true space lizard face.
You know, you know "hackers" don't you? "Hackers"? Yeah... yeah...
but besides that, I think this does nothing but promote more of those ages groups to vote. Not particually on the console...but to vote.
Good luck! Although that didn't really help with the Kerry vs Bush election ;P
I can't wait to vote and .... maybe help change my country for the better.
Also, Cthulhu for Ppresident.
@kohelhunter - Oh, and I guess that 8 years of Socialist Obambi will set things straight then? Considering how much epic FAIL follows that guy around he'll be doing a fucking bang-up job.
Has anyone ever played a game on Xbox LIVE? Does the prospect of the individuals who inhabit those lands deciding the leaders of our nation not chill you to your core?
There are plenty of normal, rational people on XBL, just as there are plenty of prepubescent tards. Thinking like that is why parents are more worried about their kids playing GTA than doing crack.
@ Aurvantoid - Yeah, I remember something about that. It all seems unnecessarily convoluted, but it probably makes sense to those that understand it better than I do ;)
Also, citizens have no constitutional right to choose the next president or any president for that matter. They are only legally allowed to choose their STATE officials who are then, by something that involves the senate, are made the electors of the electoral college. While everyone ends up donating millions of dollars and then spewing about how AWESOME their candidate is, as it turns out, their vote that is cast upon Election day is essentially worthless.
It has no bearing of how the President is chosen. It's a non-binding vote which is why it is known as the "popular vote". Now, on most occasions the popular vote will match up with the electoral vote because Electors will most likely align themselves with the opinion of the citizens, but on quite a few occasions certain Presidents have won the popular vote but have lost the Electoral vote, and thus, were not elected president.
SO, in short, all of this "rock the vote" and "register via your 360" is nothing more than a political push for more public opinion. Even though, in the end result, it really has no real weight to it.
Ah, who am I kidding? I freaking love it.
And I think it's hilarious that the same Dems who were crying over Kerry and Gore losing the electoral college race while winning the popular vote are the alot of the same people supporting Obama while he was winning the Delegate vote for candidacy, but Clinton was actually winning the popular vote in the primaries.
I just couldn't resist having a little fun with this! (this was an email to me)
> 1. I'm voting Republican because an old man claims to be different than what we've been stuck with the last eight years.
> 2. I'm voting Republican because I believe large, multinational corporations will do a better job of spending my money than I will.
> 3. I'm voting Republican because I believe the oil companies will spend their 4% profit on a gallon of gas to fix all the failing roads and bridges in the country.
> 4. I'm voting Republican because I believe three or four elitist conservatives need to rewrite the Constitution through judicial fiat every few days to suit some idealists who would otherwise NEVER get their agendas past the voters.
> 5. I'm voting Republican because I want a stimulus check. My grandkids can pick up the tab.
> 6. I'm voting Republican because freedom of religion is fine as long as everybody is a Christian.
> 7. I'm voting Republican because I believe that corporations should pay their executives insane amounts of money and then get bailed out by the government.
> 8. I'm voting Republican because I'm concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies so long as I don't actually have to support those children or help educate them.
> 9. I'm voting Republican because I believe that what the founding fathers REALLY meant is that we should let the church decide what's best for us.
> 10. I'm voting Republican because I want only the very rich to be able to afford health care. Let the masses go to the emergency rooms (until we manage to get them shut down too).
> 11. I'm voting Republican because I believe the oil in the protected areas will be better than the oil under the unprotected areas (which are already being leased for drilling but are not being drilled on). Maybe the protected oil will taste like donuts?
> 12. I'm voting Republican because I believe it's a good use of resources to keep our armed forces in the middle east forever. If those men and women come home, they're just going to expect health care, an education, and possibly a job...
> 13. I'm voting Republican because I like waging war on a country that had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks but using that as a justification anyway.
> 14. I'm voting Republican because I believe that Great Britain protects itself from terrorists with a magical Harry Potter spell. Well they don't have guns so it must be something. I also believe it's my constitutional right to keep a small nuclear warhead for my own protection. But only the white guys get those.
> 15. I'm voting Republican because I believe that corporations will keep us safe from poison food and infected water. Because they care about us.
> 16. I'm voting Republican because I believe that scientists all over the world are involved in a grand conspiracy to trick us about global warming. I get all the science education I need at church on Sundays.
> 17. I'm voting Republican because I love the idea of telling other people how they should live their lives and how they can legally arrange their affairs. Where are my binoculars?
I'll be voting for Obama, and I'll also be doing the Live thing if and when it ever shows up!
Yes it was.
Hmm...I see you are voting for Richard Pryor this year. :-P hehe
Kohelhunter: Ha ha ha. Those are some of the faultiest points I've ever seen. That's like saying all Democrats are Communist, Godless, fetus-eating homosexual abortionists who exist for nothing else than to drain welfare, smoke pot, and have sex with illegal aliens until they bankrupt the nation, rot their brains, and their 'organs' fall off.
Also:
@all those getting the uneasy feeling from McCain: Play the ualuealuealeuale while he's talking. It fits nicely. Disclamer:Does not improve electibility. P.S. Someone really needs to YTMND that combo. There was one for Barack, but NOT McCain!?