The Courage to Vote – voting AD

The last post is always the one about which way the J’accuse vote will go. This time round it is not that hard to guess given this blogs declaration of its preference early in the campaign. It’s not simply about declaring one’s voting preference though. The reasoning behind the vote is just as important as the vote itself-  particularly when we are in the phase of the election when the vilification of the “wasted vote” reaches its peak. In my discussions with like minded voters I have always stressed that if the third party was to attract votes it would have to be clear, honest and up-front about its motives and its reasons.

Yes it is true, you have only one vote. It is a huge responsibility and you are meant to use it not egoistically or on the basis of grievances that are mostly personal by nature. A responsible vote is one that is made when fully conscious of the consequences of that vote, of what it entails and what one hopes to achieve with it. So here is the reasoning that leads me, and I hope will lead other like minded voters, to vote for alternattiva demokratika.

The Wasted Vote

To begin with you have to be aware of the investment that you are making when using your vote. Yes, they are right when they try to scare you and warn you that your vote risks being wasted. The “waste” is in terms of being a determining factor of which party will govern the nation for the next five years. True there is a sight chance that the third party gets to form a coalition in government. We’ll come back to that later but the truth is that the odds are stacked highly against this happening. It is the existence of these very odds that makes me stop considering my vote wasted. If I want change from this winner-takes-all mentality I have to set the ball rolling. The main parties will not do that for me. They have proven time and again that their promises of electoral reform are a lie.

They blatantly disregard the basic rules that are supposed to level the playing field, they engage in gerrymandering and abuse of the very rules in order to scare you away from voting for an alternative. The first reason to vote AD is to mark a positive step and add to the critical mass that will one day drive a wedge into the winner-takes-all mentality. The first reason to vote AD is to show that nobody owns your vote and that by exercising your democratic right to choose the party you want you are not wasting your vote. That is why the number 1s will be more effective.

Risk vs Returns

So the AD voter is running a higher risk. He is sacrificing the possibility of choosing the lesser of what he considers two evils in order to make a positive statement in favour of more proportional representation and in order to break the dichotomy. What returns can he expect?

In the first instance the achievement of a critical mass could mean that finally a third party is represented in parliament. Irrespectively of whether it is a government-forming coalition or a party that forms part of an opposition this achievement would in itself signify a very positive return on the risk. An AD MP means more scrutiny of parliamentary affairs, it also means positive action with the possibility of proposing bills in parliament, participating in parliamentary committees and transforming the black and white dialogue into constructive debate. It would also mean a sucker punch at the heart of the complacent parties who have long settled in the race to the bottom – safe in the assumption that the system of eternal alternation guarantees them a part of the pie.

At a second level an AD that is in a position to reach compromises with the main parties on matters of governance means influencing the populist rhetoric that wins the mainstream party votes with real and concrete commitments in the field of environment and civil rights. Both parties have tried to label AD as being part of the “other”. It’s inevitable because they see every vote for AD as a vote of theirs that is lost to the other side. Do not fall for their trap. AD has no pre-written preference. AD is not the PL or PN in disguise. It has proven to be a party fully capable of coming up with concrete policies and proposals that rise above partisan interests.

Number 1

The hesitant voter is the one that is currently contemplating whether it is worth investing in this new wave – the green spring. The odds are stacked against the party. His original party of choice has drummed the wasted vote argument in his head. The fear of the other side winning is coupled with the false rumours that abuse of your ignorance. A Daphne would attempt to equate Michael Briguglio with communism for having written against the Cuban Embargo – do voters know that the nationalist government was on Mike Briguglio’s side? Does that make GonziPN a commie government? A Labourite would claim that Muscat’s wave of change is the change that is needed. The temptation for many to simply vote Muscat for change’s sake is sad. It betrays a lack of clarity and a readiness to be sweet-talked on the basis of some anger at the nationalist establishment.

It takes courage to vote AD. There’s no denying that. It is the courage of opting to go against the current, of thinking different, of recognising the difficult odds and yet persisting in driving home the final straw that might begin to break the system. Voting AD is not for the weak, for the easily offended or for the easily convinced. It is a responsibility that must be borne with care because it is a responsibility that could effect future generations. As an enlightened young columnist once said – we must not simply think in the short term but we must think for future generations. Do we want them to experience this race to the bottom politics or are we prepared to give them a chance to see a new dawn, a new page in our history.

Voting for AD is not for the faint hearted. Third party voters are those that really want to stand up and be counted. They are those who are unaffected by the fear campaigns and scare mongering. They are the ones who are prepared to give a chance to thinking different about a future nation that is everybody’s true, but that is based on reason and reality not on populist rhetoric.

On Saturday, if you are strong willed enough and if you believe in change give your first preference to AD before moving along the ballot sheet. If you still cannot shed the habit of alternation you couldn’t do worse than giving AD your second preference after choosing your government party of choice – but be warned, that vote is not half as effective.

AD stands for open democracy, open society and open politics. With AD there are no deals with interest groups or business interests. Ad has no endorsements from foreign politicians, footballers or clowns. The only endorsement AD is seeking is yours. In return AD pledges to be honest and clear with you.

Because with AD you know where you stand.