Is a democracy legitimate if votes don't weigh the same?

[eniwetok]

46. In our system apathy is not an unreasonablel response.

But I think the bigger issue here is that those who wear blinders and look only at OUR past miss the greater context that much of the world has moved on from our primitive form of elections and representation. And at some point we have to be honest about the failures of our system. But again, even for liberal Dems that tends to fall into the realm of impermissible thought. There are reasons why in the US we have such abysmal voting turnout... about 35% of the Voting Age Population (VAP) in off year elections and 50-55% in presidential years... when other nations are routinely in the high 70s and 80s%. I propose that we're largely stuck between our need to uphold the civic religion that we have the best political system, and our real world disappointment about self-government. As a progressive I can vote forever and never get representation for what I believe... and I live in Mass. Our plurality electoral system requires up to 49.9% of the votes count for nothing. Someone can become president after being REJECTED by the People. In the Senate 18% of the US population gets 52% of the seats. In the House districts can be gerrymandered so politicians are picking their voters and a party can win up to 70% of the seats with 51% of the vote. Amendments can be blocked by states with as little as 4% of the population.

In our political system apathy is not an unreasonable response.