Voter-Turnout

IN his address to a Coalition rally at Golden Grove on the East Coast of Demerara, President David Granger called on his supporters to vote in large numbers at the coming elections. The President was of course addressing the thorny issue of low voter-turnout. He hinted to the large gathering that the 2020 elections would be determined by those with the capacity to get their supporters to the polls or what he called the “battle of numbers.” Speaking specifically to Region Four voters, he said: “The problem I face tonight is that 25 per cent of this region was absent without leave…This time, let us not make a mistake, I don’t want 75 per cent of the people to turn up, I want 80 and 85 per cent of the people of this region. If we get that mobilisation, we win the country.”

This call by the President is timely. Motivating citizens to vote in large numbers has in recent times been an uphill task for politicians in the wider Caribbean. On an average more than one-third of registered voters in the Region fail to turn up to vote on election day. In the recent election in Dominica, for example, voter turnout was a disappointing 53.7 per cent. Here in Guyana, voter-turnout has gone from 88.4 per cent and 91.7 per cent in 1997 and 2001 respectively to 72.92 per cent in 2015. The turnout in 2006 and 2011 was 69.3 per cent and 72.9 per cent, respectively.

It is clear from those numbers that voter-turnout has dropped considerably. Regardless of which side of the political fence one sits, this must be cause for concern. No doubt, individual parties tend to motivate their supporters to go to the polls while hoping that those of opposing parties stay away. But from the national standpoint, the country benefits from full participation in elections. It indicates popular confidence in the political process, something that is essential in a functioning democracy.

Most of the research on the cause of low voter-turnout suggests that alienation from politics and the political process is one of the major factors. These voters tend to feel that their votes would not alter the outcome of the elections or change the larger picture. In other words, they do not see the linkage of the vote to their individual material circumstances. Citizens do have a role to play in ensuring that they carry out their civic duties, of which voting is an important component. Each voter who decides to stay away from the poll is in effect ceding to someone else his or her right to determine the fate of the nation. Elections are determined by those who vote and the party that wins for the most part determines policies and laws for the entire nation.
But politicians and parties must take some blame for the apparent alienation of voters. Some parties often solicit votes at election time only to cease communication with voters when the election is over. Others turn elections into a carnival of lies or appeals to the worse instincts in their supporters. The combination of these factors, no doubt, drives citizens away from the process.

So, it is incumbent upon political leaders to address this problem. The President must be commended for publicly raising it. It is time we have a conversation about it that cuts across the political divide. A functioning democracy is enhanced by increased citizen participation and one of the most important forms of participation is voting. There is also a role for civic and non-governmental groups such as the media, the church and other people’s organisations in educating voters about the importance of voting. It is with that in mind that this publication joins the president in calling on all citizens, regardless of political leanings, to go out and cast their votes on March 2. There is much at stake. We understand why some voters are alienated, but we ask that you consider the larger picture. The preservation of the democratic process hinges on more, not less participation. We also remind voters that if they do not cast their votes, it would weaken their right to complain about the electoral outcome.

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