Voting has a tiny probability to affect anything, but when it does, it affects a proportionally huge number of people. So while voting is irrational for egoists, it seems like a good deal for altruists/utilitarians because the 1/N in the probability and the N in the effect cancel out (except insofar as they have other unusually worthwhile ways to spend their time and insofar as it doesn’t matter who wins).
Voting has a tiny probability to affect anything, but when it does, it affects a proportionally huge number of people. So while voting is irrational for egoists, it seems like a good deal for altruists/utilitarians because the 1/N in the probability and the N in the effect cancel out (except insofar as they have other unusually worthwhile ways to spend their time and insofar as it doesn’t matter who wins).