August 3, Election Day, will dawn in our country with dusty air and the rustle of falling leaves underfoot.
Perhaps, on this day, people will care enough to swing themselves off their chairs and head down to the polling station. And, for the politicians, the day will mean a final push to urge everyone to go out and vote.
There are two possible projections that people could make before an election that make it more likely that they’ll vote. They will vote, and their candidate wins, or they abstain, and their candidate loses.
My argument is, rather see voting as form of altruism than just a day to stand in long queues or slog through harsh weather. The statistical odds of your vote making any difference at all are not infinitesimal like many may have put it to you. The probability that you’ll be the deciding vote in your ward is much bigger than the chance that you’ll get sloshed under a tree without contributing to the democratic process.
One of the most critical ways that individuals can influence governmental decision-making is through voting.
In summary, feeling obliged to comply with a social norm is indeed a powerful force.
So come the next elections, let us all go and vote!
