Dear Voter,
The dawn of possible good governance glances upon us once again. We have another chance and the power to decide. It is in our hands to make a decision and elect people who should steer our motherland to change—a brighter and better future for each one of us.
This is an open letter to show that voting for this upcoming election is both a right and a responsibility. A request to consider and rationalize your decision and vote. May you realize the importance of voting wisely and how it may prompt our nation toward change and prosperity.
The Right of Suffrage
Suffrage is the right to vote. It is a human right that is related to the concept of democracy and people’s sovereignty. Sovereignty is often defined as the core of absolute and unlimited power.
According to the democratic 1987 Constitution, it is the people alone who can exercise sovereignty. They can, therefore, make decisions that are binding on all individual citizens, groups, and institutions—including the selection of leaders who will run the government.
Voting Wisely: Why is it Our Responsibility?
The driving force of the concept of "vote wisely" is the thirst of people for good governance. Being stuck within the same system—stagnant and never improving—made people want change. Voting wisely encapsulates the need for public servants and not merely politicians, who feed themselves out of the people's money that has now filled their own pockets.
To vote is people's sacred duty—it carries a tremendous moral weight. You hold by your fingertips the dreams of the poor to have a government that will truly help and serve them. By electing the right ones, you carry with you the prayer of those who are famished—hoping to have leaders that act with rational thinking paired with compassion. You are one of the deciders, and your vote embodies the aspiration of every Filipino family for a better city, province, and even country.
Knowing the candidates' background, achievements, and goody-good platforms is just the bare minimum. It is a premature act and a stepping stone towards choosing the right ones. Thus, we should ask ourselves: "How do we really vote wisely?
Stop Choosing Familiarity Over Capability
People tend to overlook a candidate's credentials because they have grown familiar with the same face for years. They keep on electing people out of comfort despite these officials' incompetence, yet also dare to complain about how their city is not prospering.
Choosing familiarity over competence will sequentially lead to missed opportunities for growth, improvement, and better performance. It is not being ungrateful or the manifestation of the saying "familiarity breeds contempt"—it is a matter of selecting the better chance for good governance.
Voting is NOT Gambling
Voting is never about choosing someone who is most likely to win, but rather electing the people you think will steer the country toward a better future. This is where the preposition of taking into account the candidate's accomplishments and not just rooting for them because they are winnable or they have popularity comes into play.
However, there are some new faces on the list that haven't proven anything yet by being a senator or congressman, since they are rookies. Still, the public is convinced they are "winnable" or worth voting for because they engender the outcome they want. It seems as if it's a gamble, but on the other side of the coin, it is a leap of faith.
Betting on a candidate that aligns with your own principles and ignoring the fact that this candidate is unpopular draws the line that separates mere voting gambling and voting by seeing a potential "win" of an outcome you desire and need.
Never Conform to Bandwagonism
Similar to voting gambling, the bandwagon effect on elections shows the shift of votes to someone who is expected to win by the crowd. The key difference is that in the bandwagon effect, people are influenced not only by popularity but also by the pressure brought by the people around them and, most importantly, by the media.
Bandwagonism eliminates altruism and the sense of standing firmly on one's own decision. Succumbing to this may lead to prioritizing the candidate's popularity over better policy and or qualifications. The media has the power to shape a candidate, but only you have the power to fact-check and resist.
Critical Thinking Doesn't Come From the Vacuum
Not everyone has the same means and resources to dig deeper into the candidates' backgrounds or search about them online. And to those who can, you ought to educate them. You are not telling them who to vote—rather, you are showing them every side of the coin. Through this and vice versa, we can apply critical thinking in context.
Critical thinking is a skill that requires actualization or engagement with the world. It must be fostered because it is not something that grows on its own or develops in isolation. It is crucial to hold on to it in knowing and voting for candidates who will possibly lead our nation.
The Ability of People to Know "Good"
The reason why there are very few guides on how to vote wisely is the fact that people are actually possessing the innate ability to judge between good and evil. It is but just a hopeful belief—that deep in our hearts we are created with kindness within.
It may pose a question to you, then why is everyone still voting for the wrong people over the years?
Not all good things are right. People may have the ability to make good decisions, but we cannot objectively say it's beneficial for everyone. Even the kindest person may create actions that may be wrong for many but have to be done out of a sense of duty. It simply proves that moral and legal matters are like two different rivers that a man can't row his boat all at once.
Listen and Respond to The Call
Change may seem as if it's likely to happen so slowly. And indeed it is. Although change is inevitable, it does not happen overnight. For one to see and feel the "change", it may take time—years perhaps.
But will you resist the call and the chance to start today?
At the end of the day, we are one in this crusade. It's never about the clash between colors, political parties, and influential families—it is rather about coming together as one to choose the right ones. Elect those who will serve us, not the ones that will make us serve him.
Listen and respond to the call—a line that rings for change and good governance. The true essence of voting wisely is selecting the candidates that will make you proud of yourself and of the country.
Sincerely,
Youth
Article by: Mx. James Patrick Quesada (The Catalyst Feature Writer)