Democracy and Free Choice: Who Should Decide Your Vote?

An election is an avenue where citizens have to vote for their choice of candidates for different political offices, and it's always essential to make the right choice when voting because, as we all know, if the right choice isn't chosen, then the citizens would have to deal with the results of their wrong choices, but if they vote for the right candidate, they'll also reap the benefits of their decisions. Since most people's decisions might seem wrong to others, should we then just propose who people should vote for, rather than let them follow their will? Wouldn't that go against the entirety of democracy? Find out my take on these.

I can't disregard the fact that every single individual in our country has a different opinion about who they think is the right person to lead us in our nation, leading in different capacities, be it a chancellor, a chairman, a senator, a governor, or the president. Every position needs to be placed in that place because of their capabilities, track record, and the like. And not because of their religion, tribe, and the like. Voting based on sentiment leads to a lot of people voting blindly, and that's because their conscience has been blinded by their biased mind.

Because of these, it's now being suggested by some set of people that to correct such issues, it's best we just guide and tell people who to vote for rather than let them make their own decisions. But is that the right way to go? Won't it contradict the democratic style of leadership that choosing a leader ought to project? I totally agree with the fact that telling people who to vote for or trying to force them to vote for the person who you believe is the best candidate is not the right way to go about things, because it's against the way of democracy, and if that candidate of yours also ended up being the worst, you not being able to handle the blame from people you force your will on will fall on you.

To be honest, telling people who to vote for doesn't mean they'll vote for the person, but then we can enlighten them on why the person is better and hope they'll follow our guidance, but we shouldn't force them. Some of the positive effects are the fact that it'll promote political participation amongst citizens, especially knowing fully well that many citizens are tired of politics and would have preferred not to vote; it'll also raise awareness that'll increase the chances of the right candidate winning, which will ultimately make the nation make the right decision and vote for an individual that has the love of the people and nation at heart.

Talk about the negative effect, such as the fact that it may influence independent thinking, making people vote based on other people's opinions rather than evaluating each candidate by themselves. It can also increase division between people because it leads to arguments amongst friends and the community at large. It could also lead to misinformation because when you try to tell people about who you think is the right candidate, the opposition would do the same, and then you'll have to be at the mercy of whose words carry more weight. In my opinion, I think we should just create awareness about the person we think is the best in a way whereby everyone can see and hear about them, rather than forcing our opinion on them. Such awareness will help them evaluate all candidates and make the right decision.

All photos are mine.