Johannesburg – The first time I was able to vote was in the 2006 local government elections. The excitement when I made my debut on the voters’ roll was palpable as it was surreal. Here I was, living and participating in a democracy many of my forebears could only yearn for.
As a journalism major, I understood that very few of my friends were as interested in politics as I was.
And I accepted that some of them would vote in the election, and others would choose not to. I respected both groups’ decisions. I have voted in every election since then. This is my way of shaping our young democracy.
Little dispute exists that no right is more fundamental than the right to vote. But is voting the only way we contribute to the democratic process? Surely that can’t be the case.
I have been a consistent voter because there would be a party that would have won my heart and mind that I make the effort to go to the polling station, come what may.
Persuasion is as old as our species. Democracy depends on it and no party deserves a vote of any voter if it has not earned that cross.
The millions of South Africans who decided not to partake in the recently concluded elections have not opted out of the democratic process as some would make us believe. They sent a clear message to established parties: you’re not worthy of our vote.
As much as we advocate for the right to vote, we ought to equally respect the right not to vote. In a democracy, individuals can decide for themselves if they use their right to vote. However, non-voters are often in the media focus as being a danger to democracy. Yawn!
The plea that people vote even if no party or candidate has convinced them to vote for them is myopic. It’s a view that seeks to say: whatever you do, just vote, even if no party has won your heart and mind.
Seeking to reduce democratic participation to merely choosing the “better devil” is not only myopic but preposterous. Until and unless there is a candidate who the potential voter feels they could vote for in good conscience, it’s well
within their rights not to vote.
It is fallacious to argue that those who have failed to vote don’t have the right to seek accountability from the government. This argument is akin to saying the governing party must not take care of the interests of the population that voted for opposition parties.
Those aptly concerned about low voter turnout should continue to convince cynics that democracy flourishes when every citizen participates in the electoral processes. Talking down on non-voters is not the way to go about it. The
silent majority must be heard and their grievances attended to.
The promise of democracy remains real and powerful, and democracy lives from the participation and legitimization of the people.
The fewer people vote, the more difficult it gets to legitimize decisions.
It is in everybody’s interests that many of the legible voting population feel that their votes matter and not reduce them as people who don’t care about the future of their country. Herein lies the opportunity to persuade rather than to condemn.
Political parties need to appeal and be relevant to the aspirations of the people whose votes they need.
The art of persuasion in the democratic process is one that needs to be continuous.
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