‘It is good if our preferred candidate wins. But it is more important that we protect the process and honor and respect the result.’
OVER the months since our politicians began forging alignments and realignments, it is inevitable that you and I have been asked — or have asked others — who the best candidate to vote for is.
Sometimes the questions begin with, “Who are you voting for?” Which can be easy for some of us to answer, but can in turn be complicated for others. Because some of us view voting in a simple straightforward manner: there’s someone I like and I am voting for him or her no matter what.
But (and I suspect this applies to a bigger number) the matter is not as simple for others.
Not only is there the issue of which candidate you like, there’s also the issue of which candidate do you least like — and how strong is your dislike for the other/s. You see, that dislike can in fact ultimately be the deciding factor when some of us go to the precincts on May 9. On that day some of us will actually be voting against a candidate rather than for someone. And that’s neither good nor bad. It is just what it is.
In fact, I’ve played out in my mind what I call the voter decision tree, and here is how I think it goes. Read through it and ask yourself — at what point does the tree talk to how you are processing your own voting choices?
It starts with this question: How likely is it that your preferred candidate will win? Highly? Good for you. Go and cast your vote for your candidate. Quite likely? Good for you. Go and cast your vote for your candidate. Not likely? Aha. If this is your answer, then I have another question.
Does it matter to you that your vote will be cast for someone who may not win? If your answer is no, good for you; go out and cast your vote for your preferred candidate. But if your answer is yes, aha: I have another question for you.
Does it matter to you that someone you don’t prefer — or don’t like even — is likely to win?
If your answer is no, then good. Go ahead and cast your vote for your preferred candidate. But if your answer is yes, aha: I have another question for you.
Among those more likely to win (other than your candidate) would you now like to cast your vote to increase the chances of one of them winning over the other? If your answer is no, then good for you. Go ahead and vote for your preferred candidate. But if your answer is yes, aha: I have another question for you.
If you’d prefer to vote to increase the chances of someone winning over the other, let me put it starkly: are you ready to abandon the candidate you initially preferred to vote for? If your answer is no, good for you. Go ahead and cast your vote for your preferred candidate.
But if your answer is yes, aha: I have one more question for you.
Are you ready to accept whoever is the choice of the majority?
If your answer is yes, well and good. Go ahead and cast your vote for your preferred candidate or for the candidate you’d like to see win among the rest, your second choice, so to speak.
But if your answer is no?
Then there are two things you need to do: learn to appreciate the value of the process, understand better why you need to protect it and why it is crucial to accept the will of majority.
And then work your butt off to help your candidate (or your second choice) win.
And in that order, mind you.
It is good if our preferred candidate wins. But it is more important that we protect the process and honor and respect the result.
Ultimately, that’s what’s most important for a democracy.
