Choosing to Cast My Ballot (Under Our Outdated Electoral System)
A young literature scholar, Sébastien Riquier, once vowed that abstaining from voting was a bold act of defiance. His conviction, much like a fiery dogma, contended that voting in a distorted system was akin to endorsing a farce.
But there was a time when he questioned this stance. A political system that allowed a party to win the majority with less than half the votes, seemed an upsetting statistical trick. It was an affront to democratic arithmetic.
Yet, despite his lingering belief that our voting system betrays the popular will, Sébastien will cast his ballot this time around. His views remain unchanged; it's his response that has shifted. Even though abstaining might spark an alarm, it remains silently ignored as long as it remains marginal and isolated. A handful of unmarked ballots can't sway the establishments or those that control them. A mass abstention might shake things up, but that's unlikely in the upcoming elections.
In the past, he regarded strategic voting as a moral compromise, a form of treason. But witnessing the advancement of dreadful ideas has led him to reconsider this perspective. Refusing to choose leaves one passive. While some abstain, others move forward — not always the most honorable. Disengagement doesn't create a void; it leaves a space open for opportunists.
An Imperfect Defense
He's argued that an imperfect defense is worth nothing against an ideal. He was incorrect. Dreaming of a fairer democracy doesn't exempt one from acting in the current one. We won't change it by abandoning the ballot box, but by adding weight, voice, and tension to it.
Of course, voting is just a single drop. It can't substitute protests, debates, petitions, or boycotts. But at times, it's the only drop we can put in the right place at the right time. And when the far-right gains ground, when hate speech becomes commonplace, it becomes urgent not to stay silent, even in the voting booth.
He won't vote out of blind faith, but because even in a flawed system, there are differences, and between the worst and the least worst, he chooses to have his voice heard.
He'll continue to denounce this dysfunctional electoral mechanism. He'll continue to push for proportionate representation, an honest democracy. But for now, he'll vote. Not out of conviction, but out of wisdom.
And if he doubts his right to take a stance, he reminds himself of this: in a democracy, having an opinion isn't a privilege reserved only for the experts. It's a shared right. And that's why, this time, he'll stand in line, ballot in hand.
1. Check out Alexandre Vigneault's column "No, They Won't Vote" Join the Discussion
Now that we've discussed Sébastien Riquier's change of heart, consider why someone might elect to vote after initially choosing to abstain. Possible reasons include:
- A shift in the political landscape
- Increased awareness or education
- Personal experiences
- Social influence
- A desire for change
- Alexandre Vigneault's column, "No, They Won't Vote", explores the reasons why some people might choose to vote after initially deciding to abstain.
- Factors that could contribute to this change of heart include a transformation in the political landscape, expanded knowledge or education, personal experiences, social influence, and a yearning for change.
- For Sébastien Riquier, a change in political policy and legislation, exposure to the advancement of detestable ideas, and the impact of disengagement became driving forces to reconsider his stance.
- Abstaining from voting might have once seemed like an act of passivity, but Riquier now believes that casting a ballot can add weight, voice, and tension to the system and serve as a potent counterbalance to extreme views.
- As a citizen in a democracy, each individual has the right to form an opinion and cast a vote, making the ballot box a powerful tool for shaping the direction of a nation.
