The Poll Problem

Cartoon credit: politicalhumor.about.com/

You must have all read news reports about the poor turnout of voters at the recent general elections. Even in the city of Mumbai, the target of a ghastly terror attack less than six months ago, more than 50% voters stayed away from the polling booths. All those candle light vigils and ‘Wake up voter’ campaigns, apparently, failed to move prospective voters. 

Now newspapers and social scientists are busy finding answers as to why this must have happened. Some of the reasons put forward are: Plain laziness, lack of social responsibility, lack of trust in the democratic machinery or its efficacy, dislike for candidates, lack of time, unwillingness to take the trouble to make it to the polling booth and wait in queue, a sense of frustration about the system, lack of belief that my single vote would in any way be able to change this country’s political future, etc. 

Whatever the true reason, the fact remains that despite the most widespread and powerful advertising campaigns to urge them, more than half the voting population did not cast their vote.  

When I discussed this issue with some friends over dinner a couple of days back, most of them came to this unanimous conclusion: For whatever reason (we should not even try to find out the reasons, it was argued, because there would be no way of knowing if they are true), those who did not vote “felt that the trouble of going to the polling booth, standing in queue and then casting your vote was NOT WORTH even the best expected outcome (that is even if the candidate you voted for ends up winning).” 

Then someone suggested: “Does it mean that if the voter did not have to take the trouble of going out, the percentage would improve? Suppose he or she could vote from home or office, would almost everyone vote then? Imagine specially made, small family ballot boxes were put into each home and collected the next day, would everybody vote? Would the percentage go up?” 

Interesting question! And I am sure you want to jump in with the answer “Yes”, or “Possibly”, or “Certainly”. But take my advice. Don’t rush in, and don’t be too sure. 

Take the case of internet polls (like the one you presently find displayed on this blog). The poll is brought to you “in your home, on your computer screens and requires just a small pressure of your index finger which is anyway already on the mouse”, but at the time of writing this column, only 22 of the 522 unique visitors that logged in after the poll was uploaded nearly 24 hours ago, have bothered to cast their vote! And mind you this is not only related to this blog which is not even three weeks old, the phenomenon is a worldwide one, without exception. 

One of the best racing fourms on the net, paceadvantage.com, with over 10,000 registered members, experiences the same apathy when it comes to voting on any of the polls that are uploaded. The two latest polls on their site have these figures: One poll is on for 3 days, viewed by 1,189, voted on by only 48 (4 %); and another poll is on for more than two months, viewed by 3,210 visitors, but voted only by 164 (5.1 %). 

I find it very strange, and frankly, don’t have a clue as to what could be the real reason for this universal voting apathy. 

Have any ideas? Write in if you have. 

But before that, my request is to please take the trouble of clicking your choice in the poll presently on this page, and cast your vote.