They only count when you log in. I assume it's saved in a cookie and update it when you log in. It may be cleared once you leave the site, if you never log in.

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

Any votes that you cast while not logged in should be counted once you do log in, provided you're using the same browser and haven't cleared your cookies.

COOKIES!!! NOM NOM NOM!

But, the votes that are made by non members don't count and never do?
So all those people don't even realize they are going around voting for nothing and they will never sign up because they think their voting counts, so they don't have to.

This is very confusing. How many votes have we lost to people that are voting but are not signed up?

I know I was at a friends place and he voted up a few videos, they showed as voted on his computer but when I got home, I noticed the votes didn't show up. So here he is voting away, thinking he's joining in the fun - But - nothing he does is counting...

I think I was voting once and then was distracted and never signed in. I just lost all of those votes. : (

The ability to vote while logged out helps infinitely more than it hurts.

Without it, most all lurkers who visit might try to click on a vote arrow and get turned away by a big ugly register box, so their votes don't count anyway. But by offering people the gratifying feedback of a successful upvote, they are much more inclined to be converted to an actual member, adding lots of votes from first-time voters.

There is a message informing non-members that they are able to vote away. Then once they start voting there is a message telling them their votes don't count until they login.

The members who vote while logged out and then never, ever login again from the same computer are undoubtedly few and far between and a non-issue when compared to the enormous new user registrations anonymous voting helps earn.

Good to know Lucky, Thanks!
I'm going to go try it on a new post... (not my own, obviously )

OK, so I logged out and wen to 3 different videos.

I up-voted them and only received a message once - on the first one. It read:
"Greetings! You are not currently logged in, but please don't let that stop you from voting up any videos you like. "

It doesn't say anything about those votes not being counted until I register or log in.

Also realizing that if these said votes are being counted on cookies, I know Firefox has a setting, as mine is set, to clear all cookies once I shut the program down so yes, I expect these votes are still getting lost. Even, if after a week of voting, someone is inspired sign up.

I agree with the soft-vote method, I just think a better explanation is needed for the voter so we can get those votes.

Question: Do we have a way of counting all those lost votes?

You will get the message on every page load unless you dismiss it.

There's not enough room on that one line to explain that the votes don't count and it doesn't make sense to say that anyway until the user starts voting because it would just serve to influence people not to vote.

*quality

Awarding jimnms with one star point for this contribution to VideoSift - declared quality by looris.