Ever since I became an anarchist, I have morally objected to any method or strategy of working within the system. There is also overwhelming evidence to show that reformism is a failed tactic, and will never succeed in restoring liberty. Additionally, I cancelled my voter registration in April of 2015, so I couldn’t vote, even if I wanted to.

Many people have made similar arguments, but I view voting to be a violation of both, the non-aggression principle and the axiom of self-ownership. I can even get on board with Derrick Broze’s recent video, wherein he made the case that running for President is also an act of aggression.

It’s also worth noting the ever-growing number of uninformed, unintelligent voters. This should be enough to deter the more-philosophically sound reformists from participating, but unfortunately, those same folks attempt to use the political process to violently force their ideals and beliefs (no matter how well-intentioned) onto the rest of the citizenry.

In every state, voter fraud is also an issue, whether it be a minor or major one. Adding in the fact that individual voter strengths are far below one vote, voter fraud only makes your “one vote” that much more miniscule and that much less “democratic.”

;There’s also one other point that needs to be discussed before we move forward, and that would be the Downs’ Median Voter Theorem. Kyle Rearden from The Last Bastille blog has already covered this topic and put it in a more succinct manner than I could.

He said:

“Downs’ Median Voter Theorem narrows the range of options down to a set of strict binary ‘choices,’ that are, in fact, so very similar to each other as to be nearly indistinguishable in substance, even though they may seem superficially dissimilar. Any other choices that may be presented from time to time are not given equal weight as the two primary darlings are. The Left-Right Paradigm manipulates the median voter theorem so as to artificially limit the ‘serious’ political candidates to those who are beholden to the dual hegemonic political parties.”

The Downs’ Median Voter Theorem surely assists in “seeing through the fog” of this dualistic, false dichotic, political system America is encompassed by. It also explains why third parties are hard-pressed to even have a chance at becoming the next political rulers.

Now that some of the major issues regarding voting have been laid out, let’s direct our focus to The Communist State of Illinois.

Is this so called “democracy” really “democratic?”

First off, I think it’s important to examine what “democracy” is, objectively. Democracy at its most basic form is simply tyranny of the majority. If 51% of a nation’s citizenry decide that you should be hung in the streets, you can expect to be hung in the streets because, “The People have spoken.”

Additionally, “democracy” is simply a political buzzword with another connotation, one with much deadlier ramifications. Karl Marx, co-author of The Communist Manifesto and a revolutionary socialist, stated that “Democracy is the road to socialism.” Vladimir Lenin, Head of the USSR and communist revolutionary, shared similar sentiments: “Democracy is indispensable to socialism.”

One of the major misconceptions when it comes to voting, is that it is the majority making these coercive, politically binding decisions, regardless of the various state in question. Such a notion could not be further from the truth.

It would first be wise to mathematically determine what the voter power is of each Illinoisan. Using the Banzhaf power index, we can calculate each individual’s voting power in the United States, using this document as a guide, which shows the data sets necessary to perform the calculations.

The first thing you need to determine is the population of the state, in this example, Illinois. The population of Illinois is around 13 million.

Next, using the table provided in the document, you will need to determine the Electoral College votes, which for Illinois, is 21.

Next, divide the Electoral College votes by the total population of the state. In this case: 21 ÷ 13,000,000.

An Illinoisan’s voter share of the state’s electoral votes would be: .00000161538.

The next step would be to quantitatively analyze the voting power of an individual in Illinois.

No matter what state, “1” will be in the numerator, and the respective state population in the denominator. In this case, √ 13,000,000, multiplied by the Banzhaf power index, .387.

For Illinois you get:

The Banzhaf power index of each voter in Illinois is roughly, .0011. I will hedge my bets on the fact that “democracy” isn’t so “democratic”, at least here in Illinois.

The next data set to analyze is the actual voter turnout percentages. For this example, I have chosen McLean County and the City of Bloomington.

For both of these variables, I gathered the amount of registered voters, ballots cast, the “unofficial voter turnout”, the population in the various years, and then the actual voter turnout, when factoring in the entire population, instead of just registered voters. (Full Excel Spreadsheet)

What I found was not surprising, but surely unsettling.

For the City of Bloomington, the data set contains every election from 1996-2015. When I averaged out the voter turnout percentage provided by the website that hosts their statistics, it came out to be 31.43%. The only problem with that statistic is that they are only factoring in the registered voters and the ballots cast, not the entire population of Bloomington.

31.43% of the registered voters making coercive, politically binding decisions for the rest of the citizenry is bad enough, but don’t worry, it gets worse.

When I took into account the entire population, the average dropped significantly, down to 17.82%.

The same process was used for McLean County, except they only make the statistics for 2007-2015 available. Using the voter turnout percentages provided by McLean County, the average voter turnout was a mere 29.33%. Again, those numbers are deceptive, as they only factor in registered voters and ballots cast, not the entire population of McLean County.

The official voter turnout, when taking into account the entire population of McLean County, came out to be 7.11%.

Let’s summarize what has been covered so far. First off, an Illinoisans’ voter power index is about .0011, far under “one vote”, and far away from anything “democratic.” Next, in the City of Bloomington, on average, 17.82% of the population make these coercive, politically binding decisions upon the rest of the citizenry. In McLean County, it’s much worse, due to the average being a mere 7.11%.

It should be easy to realize, just from what has been covered so far, that voting in Illinois is a complete waste of time and any semblance of “democracy” is an illusion.

From what has already been covered, it would behoove any rational Illinoisan to at least stop voting altogether, or better yet, cancel their voter registration. That said, if you live in a jurisdiction south of Interstate 80, you should cut up your voter registration in sheer anger and frustration; that is, if you still believe in the most dangerous superstition, the belief in “authority.”

Cook, Dupage, and Will are a few of the most populated counties and therefore carry the most weight when it comes to State elections. The most significant being Cook County, home to 40.6% of Illinois residents.

Cook County alone, racks up 65-70% of votes for the Democrats. Additionally, in the 2010 gubernatorial election, Pat Quinn could have been elected if he’d only won Cook County.

In a 2011 Wall Street Journal article, Allysia Finley accurately states that:

“Chicago pols control almost all seats of power in Illinois. Gov. Pat Quinn, House Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton, Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Secretary of State Jesse White are all Democrats from Chicago. So was former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who this month was sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption, including trying to sell President Obama's vacated seat in the U.S. Senate.”

Illinoisans can thank the democratic controlled Chicago for that disparity.

It’s also important to mention that the majority of extortion, I mean, “tax” dollars in Illinois are spent in Chicago. In the 2013 Illinois census, the population was virtually unchanged, as a lot of businesses and citizens are fleeing to other states where the tax burden is much lower.

Finley continues:

“In 2008, lawmakers in Springfield cobbled together a $530 million rescue package for Chicago's transit system, which was on the brink of collapse because of sky-high labor and legacy costs. Just this week they pushed through $300 million of tax credits for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Chicago Board Options Exchange and Sears to prevent the businesses from fleeing to lower-tax climes. Both Indiana and Ohio have been aggressively poaching Illinois businesses, especially since January, when lawmakers raised the state income tax to a flat 5% from 3% and the corporate tax to 9.5% from 7.3%.”

It’s no surprise that businesses are fleeing the Communist State of Illinois, and it’s even less surprising to see corporate bribery (using stolen tax dollars) being the mechanism utilized to keep the big businesses in Illinois.

The frustration felt by the citizens south of I-80 has been reflected in the Illinois House of Representatives as well. In 2011, representatives Adam Brown and Bill Mitchell, proposed legislation to make Chicago the 51st state. Of course it was a massive failure, but an accurate representation of the I-80 divide.

To conclude, an Illinoisans vote was already worthless, and if you are south of I-80, a voter registration card could be better utilized as kindling to start a fire of resentment for all things authoritarian.

Briefly, let’s ignore all that has been laid out thus far and posit that an Illinoisans vote really does matter.

Most Illinoisans are well aware of the criminally tainted past involved with Chicago politics, the most recent criminal politician being Aaron Shock, a former member of the House of Representatives.

Outside of going through every gruesome political detail, let’s simplify this experiment and take a look at the effectiveness of voting in the Communist State of Illinois (list compiled by Thrillist):

William Carothers (1976-1983), a former Chicago Alderman, was charged with conspiracy and extortion and was sentenced to three years in prison.

(1976-1983), a former Chicago Alderman, was charged with conspiracy and extortion and was sentenced to three years in prison. Isaac Carothers (1999-2010), also a former Chicago Alderman and son of William, followed in his father’s footsteps and got charged with the same exact extortion charge; he was sentenced to 28 months in prison.

(1999-2010), also a former Chicago Alderman and son of William, followed in his father’s footsteps and got charged with the same exact extortion charge; he was sentenced to 28 months in prison. Daniel Rostenkowski (1959-1995), a former member of the US House of Representatives from IL, was convicted of dishing out postage stamps and adding imaginary employees to his taxpayer-funded payroll and bought himself gifts; he was sentenced to 17 months in prison.

(1959-1995), a former member of the US House of Representatives from IL, was convicted of dishing out postage stamps and adding imaginary employees to his taxpayer-funded payroll and bought himself gifts; he was sentenced to 17 months in prison. Dan Walker (1973-1977), a former Illinois Governor; after leaving office, Walker entered into the private sector and was convicted of fraud and was sentenced to 7 years, but only served 17.5 months.

(1973-1977), a former Illinois Governor; after leaving office, Walker entered into the private sector and was convicted of fraud and was sentenced to 7 years, but only served 17.5 months. Otto Kerner (1963-1968), a former Illinois Governor, was a fan of “under-the-table” deals, and obtained $356,000 worth of below-market-stock from a horse racetrack operator; he then rigged choice racing dates and expressway exits that funneled crowds to the track; he was sentenced to 3 years.

(1963-1968), a former Illinois Governor, was a fan of “under-the-table” deals, and obtained $356,000 worth of below-market-stock from a horse racetrack operator; he then rigged choice racing dates and expressway exits that funneled crowds to the track; he was sentenced to 3 years. Fred Roti (1951-1956, 1970-1993), a former Illinois State Senator and Chicago Alderman, was convicted of 11 counts of bribery, extortion, racketeering, and racketeering conspiracy. Roti also served as a member of the La Cosa Nostra mafia, while he was in political office. He was sentenced to 4 years, but only served 3.

(1951-1956, 1970-1993), a former Illinois State Senator and Chicago Alderman, was convicted of 11 counts of bribery, extortion, racketeering, and racketeering conspiracy. Roti also served as a member of the La Cosa Nostra mafia, while he was in political office. He was sentenced to 4 years, but only served 3. George Ryan (1991-1999, 1999-2003), a former Illinois Secretary of State and Illinois Governor; this one is too good, so I will provide a quote by Thrillist, in regards to Mr. Ryan: “A fatal truck accident in 1994 got the ball rolling on an investigation cracking down on illegally acquired truck operators’ licenses in Illinois. More than a decade later, Operation Safe Road had followed a trail of money and favors that led all the way to Governor George Ryan’s doorstep. 79 others were criminally charged, and Ryan was found guilty of a whopping 18 felony counts, including racketeering conspiracy, tax fraud, lying to the FBI, and mail fraud...” He was sentenced to 6.5 years.

(1991-1999, 1999-2003), a former Illinois Secretary of State and Illinois Governor; this one is too good, so I will provide a quote by Thrillist, in regards to Mr. Ryan: “A fatal truck accident in 1994 got the ball rolling on an investigation cracking down on illegally acquired truck operators’ licenses in Illinois. More than a decade later, Operation Safe Road had followed a trail of money and favors that led all the way to Governor George Ryan’s doorstep. 79 others were criminally charged, and Ryan was found guilty of a whopping 18 felony counts, including racketeering conspiracy, tax fraud, lying to the FBI, and mail fraud...” He was sentenced to 6.5 years. Rod Blagojevich (2002-2009), a former Illinois Governor, was charged with conspiracy, the shadiest of his dealings being, when he attempted to sell President Obama’s former Senate seat. He is currently serving a 14 year sentence.

(2002-2009), a former Illinois Governor, was charged with conspiracy, the shadiest of his dealings being, when he attempted to sell President Obama’s former Senate seat. He is currently serving a 14 year sentence. Orville Hodge (1953-1956), a former Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts, embezzled $6.15 million worth of state funds. He was sentenced to 12-15 years but only served 6.5.

(1953-1956), a former Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts, embezzled $6.15 million worth of state funds. He was sentenced to 12-15 years but only served 6.5. Mel Reynolds (1993-1995), a former member of the US House of Representatives from IL, was indicted for sexual assault and criminal sexual abuse after he engaged in a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl. He was also convicted of 16 counts of bank fraud, lying to investigators from the Federal Electoral Commission, and misusing campaign funds. He got 5 years for the first sentence, 6.5 years for the second, and President Clinton commuted his second sentence after 4 years.

It’s worth pointing out that this list is incomplete, but it does paint a disgusting, authoritarian picture.

Conclusion

As a resident of Illinois, I have been bound to Illinoisan politics whether I want to be or not. There is always a new politician facing prison time for some immoral, unethical offense, there are constant attempts to strip Illinoisans of their natural right of self-defense, and the extortion fees (taxes) are relatively high compared to neighboring states.

To briefly summarize, the voter power index of each Illinoisan is a mere .0011; in both of the case studies selected, the average actual voter turnout percentage never went above 17.82%. Lastly, the long history of political corruption just puts the icing on the cake—no matter how you look at it, in The Communist State of Illinois, you always lose; turns out, the so-called “democracy” in Illinois ain’t so democratic after all.

If after seeing all of this information, you decide that voting isn’t a great way to spend your time, consider going on political field trips, maybe even cancel your voter registration, and take a gander at the almost endless solutions offered on The Freedom Umbrella of Direct Action. You could always replicate my example and apply this analysis to your state.

I’ll end with a quote by Kyle Rearden:

“The greatest tyranny is the tyranny of malicious illusion. Endorsing organized coercion by pretending it is somehow voluntary is not just unconscionable, but downright cruel. Deceitfully passing off vice as virtue is the last thing that truly consistent political dissidents would want to risk doing, lest they be discovered to be just as hypocritical as those they intend to defeat.”

This article was originally published on the Liberty Under Attack website on July 21st, 2015, and has been re-written for publication here.

Shane is the founder of Liberty Under Attack and host of LUA Radio, a live show that airs every Thursday and Sunday at 7pm CST on the Freedom Phalanx Radio Network. He is a free market anarchist committed to providing solutions to his listeners and readers, so that they can create the freedom they desire in their own lives, RIGHT NOW, despite the State.