As we are all stressfully aware, our 2025 National and Regional Elections are nearing. It’s not something that psychologists usually weigh in on. However, beneath the democratic ritual lies a complex web of psychological biases and social dynamics that influence how and why we vote. It becomes a time where identity, emotion and perception often outweigh logic and policy.

Election season heightens emotional responses, where suddenly, everything feels personal. A candidate’s face on a billboard triggers a memory, a political party’s promise reopens a generational wound, a single WhatsApp message ignites a family feud. But why does this happen? Why do elections—a supposedly rational process of leadership selection—awaken our most irrational sides?

As it often does, the answer lies in psychology.

At its core, the election season activates the oldest parts of our brain—the ones wired for survival. When we perceive a threat, real or imagined, the amygdala (our brain’s alarm bell) kicks in. It doesn’t care if the threat is a wild animal or a politician with a slogan you disagree with—it just screams: not safe; defend yourself. Suddenly, we aren’t debating policies, we’re defending our identities—and that’s when things turn tribal. For many, voting is not just a civic duty—it’s a psychological trigger, and our humanity seems to take a backseat to our political affiliations. Our fears often don’t need to be spoken aloud; they live in our stories and our silence.

In Guyana, where politics deeply intertwine with race, class, and legacy, elections don’t just ask what kind of leader do you want?—they ask who are you loyal to? We’re not just asked to vote, but rather to choose sides—and the human brain is hardwired to respond to that with emotion before logic. We begin to think in binaries: Afro-Guyanese or Indo-Guyanese. Us or them. Safe or unsafe. It’s not because we’re naturally divisive—it’s because our brains crave belonging. And when fear rises, we retreat to the groups where we feel safest.

Elections also stir deep psychological needs: the need to belong, to feel heard, to feel in control of our future. Political parties, intentionally or not, capitalise on these needs. They speak to our fears and offer identity in return. It’s seductive but also manipulative.

Elections by design highlight differences—but it’s our reactions that turn those differences into divides. Politicians campaign, and the media sensationalise, but it is we, the people, who must decide what to do with our emotions. Because after the last vote is cast, we’ll still have to live together, and our relationships, both with each other and ourselves, should not be casualties of political tension.

It’s the most common question asked right now—Who are you voting for? While I’m certainly not here to answer that, I’m here to caution you of some potential biases that make these decisions for us.
Voters aren’t spreadsheets—we’re storytellers—and our votes are often driven by affect heuristic, a mental shortcut where we rely on emotions for decisions.

• The Halo Effect – a common cognitive bias where our impression of a single positive trait influences our perception of other positive traits. For example, if we believe someone to be competent, we may also perceive them to be honest.
• The Bandwagon Effect – results in voting for the candidate that appears to be in the lead, regardless of what we truly think about them; it’s human nature to want to back a perceived winner.
• Prospect Theory – which I believe to be the most important—specifies that we are more motivated to avoid losses than to achieve gains. In Guyana, I believe we are more likely to stand against someone than stand for something. We don’t often support a party’s actions; we are just scared of what will happen if the other wins.

How can we avoid these biases?

Choose Values Over Emotion
The human brain, under pressure, tends to take mental shortcuts, a phenomenon known as cognitive ease. It feels safer to vote how our parents did. It feels easier to align with our ethnic group or community, especially when political tensions rise.
The season is loud, but amid the posters, promises, and political noise, one question often gets drowned out: Who are you when you vote?
Every vote is more than a mark on a paper—it’s a mirror that reflects not just what party you support, but what values you’re standing for. And yet, many of us don’t vote from that place. We vote from fear, frustration or loyalty. We vote for the person who looks like us, speaks like us, or makes us feel seen—even if they don’t truly serve us.

How do we vote from values?
Ask yourself:

• What kind of country do I want to live in five years from now?
• What does safety, justice, and opportunity look like for me—and for people unlike me?
• What matters more to me: strong leadership or compassionate leadership? Economic gain or ethical governance?

Which party or candidate most closely reflects those answers, regardless of race, tradition, or pressure?

Imagine an election season where people vote not to “beat the other side” but to build the future they believe in. Votes should be cast not in fear, but in hope. Not in habit, but in thought. Not in rage, but in reflection. That kind of vote changes countries.

Finally, elections don’t just shape governments—they shape people. We are all aware of how violent the election season can become. A few points to remember:

• This is what democracy was meant to be: A space big enough and intended for disagreement.
• If you need to dehumanise someone to make your point, you already believe your point can’t stand on its own.
• Someone challenging your view does not mean they hate your people.

Stay sound and safe!