--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Election Day outside of big cities is…" description: "\"Election Day outside of big cities is different. For one thing, there are so few people in my town that each individual vote really does matter, and se..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/susan-orlean-2207_big-cities_election-day-outside-of-big-cities-is-di_2530210.png" --- # Election Day outside of big cities is different. For one… ![“Election Day outside of big cities is different. For one thing, there are so few people in my town that each individual vote really does matter, and several local races have been decided by as many votes as you can count on one hand.” quote by Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/susan-orlean-2207_big-cities_election-day-outside-of-big-cities-is-di_2530210.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/susan-orlean-2207_big-cities_election-day-outside-of-big-cities-is-di_2530210.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/susan-orlean-2207_big-cities_election-day-outside-of-big-cities-is-di_2530210.png) > “Election Day outside of big cities is different. For one thing, there are so few people in my town that each individual vote really does matter, and several local races have been decided by as many votes as you can count on one hand.” [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In tiny communities each vote carries weight, making elections highly personal and decisive. **In simple terms:** Every vote matters more in small towns. Key Takeaway Engage locally and vote. Themes civic engagement democracy community vote impact local politics Mood inspirational concerned Type observational motivational When to use this quote - local elections - community meetings - campaign volunteering - civic education Key Concepts Grassroots electoral significance voter empowerment Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to vote in local elections? - How can small towns ensure fair representation? A Different Perspective Low turnout can still skew results; personal bias may dominate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-cities/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Decided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decided/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Election day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election-day/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Individual Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-vote-1337062/) [Local Races](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/local-races-1337063/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/towns/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) [Vote Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote-really-884787/) ## Related quotes > [It's heartening when people hear for the first time that their vote really matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hill-harper/it-s-heartening-when-people-hear-for-the-first-time-that-their-vote/) [Hill Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hill-harper/) > [The problem with voting is that because your individual vote makes very little difference, you're voting with a mass of others, you have very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-brennan/the-problem-with-voting-is-that-because-your-individual-vote-makes/) [Jason Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-brennan/) > [Keep in mind that your individual vote doesn't mean anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/keep-in-mind-that-your-individual-vote-doesn-t-mean-anything/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [I'm skeptical about even educating voters as a chance for being successful. You know, when we look at what people retain from high school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-brennan/i-m-skeptical-about-even-educating-voters-as-a-chance-for-being/) [Jason Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-brennan/) > [No one individual vote, no one individual quote or no one individual statement defines me, my beliefs, or my record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-hagel/no-one-individual-vote-no-one-individual-quote-or-no-one-individual/) [Chuck Hagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-hagel/) > [We once were at a time in our lives when we felt our vote did not matter, and that came from conversations with people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquill-griffin/we-once-were-at-a-time-in-our-lives-when-we-felt-our-vote-did-not/) [Shaquill Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquill-griffin/) > [Whether you vote for me or you don't vote for me, I really want to be your greatest champion. And I will be your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-goodman/whether-you-vote-for-me-or-you-don-t-vote-for-me-i-really-want-to-be/) [Amy Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-goodman/) > [In my primary, I only won by 23 votes in that one, so every vote really does count, and I want to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane/in-my-primary-i-only-won-by-23-votes-in-that-one-so-every-vote-really/) [Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane/) > [We're told, 'If you want to change the world, vote.' And really, if you want to change the world, there's a lot more things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/we-re-told-if-you-want-to-change-the-world-vote-and-really-if-you/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [As economists have long noted, the puzzle is not that so few people vote, it's that so many do. After all, no individual's vote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-h-frank/as-economists-have-long-noted-the-puzzle-is-not-that-so-few-people/) [Robert H. Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-h-frank/) > [San Francisco has a flowers-in-your-hair kind of vibe, while Chicago's got this very funny, big-city/small-town coolness to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthews/san-francisco-has-a-flowers-in-your-hair-kind-of-vibe-while-chicago-s/) [Dave Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthews/) > [Young poets worry that their experiences - whether urban or rural, immigrant or native, small town, suburb, or big city - aren't worthy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-joseph/young-poets-worry-that-their-experiences-whether-urban-or-rural/) [Allison Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-joseph/) > [Ghostly legends dot the Prairie State from its big cities to its small towns. These stories make each community unique in a way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-belanger/ghostly-legends-dot-the-prairie-state-from-its-big-cities-to-its/) [Jeff Belanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-belanger/) > [I always lose the election in the polls, and I always win it on election day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-netanyahu/i-always-lose-the-election-in-the-polls-and-i-always-win-it-on/) [Benjamin Netanyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-netanyahu/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) ## More by Susan Orlean > [I've used Twitter now and again to try to figure something out; it's an amazing resource. But I think you have to use it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-ve-used-twitter-now-and-again-to-try-to-figure-something-out-it-s/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [Who on earth is going to use 'utilize' in a text message, a whopping seven characters including the always-hard-to-type 'z,' when you can say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/who-on-earth-is-going-to-use-utilize-in-a-text-message-a-whopping/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [When my son was born, and after a day of lying-in I was told that I could leave the hospital and take him home,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/when-my-son-was-born-and-after-a-day-of-lying-in-i-was-told-that-i/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I'm happy to be reminded that an ordinary day full of nothing but nothingness can make you feel like you've won the lottery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-m-happy-to-be-reminded-that-an-ordinary-day-full-of-nothing-but/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I once had a boyfriend who couldn't write unless he was wearing a necktie and a dress shirt, which I thought was really weird,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-once-had-a-boyfriend-who-couldn-t-write-unless-he-was-wearing-a/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [“I, too, had set out to be remembered. I had wanted to create something permanent in my life- some proof that everything in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-too-had-set-out-to-be-remembered-i-had-wanted-to-create-something/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I think of myself as something of a connoisseur of procrastination, creative and dogged in my approach to not getting things done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-think-of-myself-as-something-of-a-connoisseur-of-procrastination/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I'm very excited about my new Spotify account, which gives me access to twenty gazillion songs any time, all the time. The day I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-m-very-excited-about-my-new-spotify-account-which-gives-me-access/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I approach stories as a private educational enterprise: I want to learn about something. I teach myself through research, reporting, and thinking, and then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-approach-stories-as-a-private-educational-enterprise-i-want-to/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [We're fascinated by animals because it's almost like having Martians living among us. We can see some familiarity in them, but they're entirely different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/we-re-fascinated-by-animals-because-it-s-almost-like-having-martians/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [My inspiration is really very simple: I'm struck by things that I want to know more about. I really do react just as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/my-inspiration-is-really-very-simple-i-m-struck-by-things-that-i-want/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I am dismayed to realize that much of the advice I used to parcel out to aspiring writers has passed its sell-by date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-am-dismayed-to-realize-that-much-of-the-advice-i-used-to-parcel-out/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I wish I had coined the phrase 'tyranny of choice,' but someone beat me to it. The counterintuitive truth is that have an abundance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-wish-i-had-coined-the-phrase-tyranny-of-choice-but-someone-beat-me/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [My ace in the hole as a human being used to be my capacity for remembering birthdays. I worked at it. Whenever I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/my-ace-in-the-hole-as-a-human-being-used-to-be-my-capacity-for/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [Sometimes I think I've figured out some order in the universe, but then I find myself in Florida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/sometimes-i-think-i-ve-figured-out-some-order-in-the-universe-but/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) [Explore all 179 Susan Orlean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) ## More Big cities quotes > [It is a fact of big cities that one girl's darkest how is always another's moment of shining triumph, and New York is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-godbersen/it-is-a-fact-of-big-cities-that-one-girl-s-darkest-how-is-always/) [Anna Godbersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-godbersen/) > [“The two big cities of Australia are tonally as distinct from each other as Boston is from L.A. or Lyon from Marseilles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/the-two-big-cities-of-australia-are-tonally-as-distinct-from-each/) [Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/) > [“When you live in New York or any big city, it is easy to fail at growing up. The city is designed to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/when-you-live-in-new-york-or-any-big-city-it-is-easy-to-fail-at/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [One thing that's really interesting is not only the magnitude of the recent immigration into this country, but also its distribution and its investment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-prewitt/one-thing-that-s-really-interesting-is-not-only-the-magnitude-of-the/) [Kenneth Prewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-prewitt/) > [My experiences growing up - my father lived in New York, so I was going out there in the summers and meeting really interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/my-experiences-growing-up-my-father-lived-in-new-york-so-i-was-going/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [If you go to a big city anywhere in the world and you need a doctor, just ask me. I can tell you who's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/if-you-go-to-a-big-city-anywhere-in-the-world-and-you-need-a-doctor/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [Don't feel you have to stick to plans, because something better might come up; and try to blend in, because you see more. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-urie/don-t-feel-you-have-to-stick-to-plans-because-something-better-might/) [Michael Urie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-urie/) > [It is the custom to sneer at the modern apartment-house, television, big-city Christmas, with its commercial taint . . . office parties, artificial .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gallico/it-is-the-custom-to-sneer-at-the-modern-apartment-house-television/) [Paul Gallico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gallico/) > [I didn't want to be driving to work everyday and sending out my Starbucks order. I didn't want to be in New York or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-johansson/i-didn-t-want-to-be-driving-to-work-everyday-and-sending-out-my/) [Scarlett Johansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-johansson/) > [I don't think you ever think of a big city as sweet or community, but there are cities that I think of as charming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rivers-siddons/i-don-t-think-you-ever-think-of-a-big-city-as-sweet-or-community-but/) [Anne Rivers Siddons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rivers-siddons/) > [Watch out for dark streets in big cities because there are a lot of strange beings that hang out there at night, let alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/watch-out-for-dark-streets-in-big-cities-because-there-are-a-lot-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Big cities and bright lights. Sleep all day; long nights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rihanna/big-cities-and-bright-lights-sleep-all-day-long-nights/) [Rihanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rihanna/) > [The fact is that automobiles no longer have a place in the big cities of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-delanoe/the-fact-is-that-automobiles-no-longer-have-a-place-in-the-big-cities/) [Bertrand Delanoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-delanoe/) > [Work hard, not in grunt work, but in chasing such opportunities and maximizing exposure to them. This makes living in big cities invaluable because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/work-hard-not-in-grunt-work-but-in-chasing-such-opportunities-and/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Science will liberate us from the chains of big cities and lead us back to nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/science-will-liberate-us-from-the-chains-of-big-cities-and-lead-us/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) [Browse all 170 Big cities quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-cities/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Election Day outside of big cities is different. 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