As the elections in Karnataka near, there will be plaintive pleas for “educated people” not to waste their vote, the underlying belief being that uneducated voters will vote any way even without being told to.
Every vote, we will be told, counts. If we don’t, somebody else will. And it is because educated people don’t cast their vote that our democracy is in its current shape.
Is it?
An American reader asked Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist, who blogs at The Financial Times, London, the question:
Dear Economist: I’m an American. As you know, the primary elections are heating up here, and in a few months we’ll have the real thing. Eight years ago I caught flak from my wife for not voting; I tried pointing out the minuscule impact of a single vote (mine). She responded that if everyone thought as I did, no one would vote. However, I don’t make decisions for everyone, just myself. Is it rational for me to vote, considering only the effect of my vote on the outcome of the election, and leaving out (for once) my wife’s lowered opinion of me?
Dear PB: I accept that your vote has almost no chance of deciding the outcome. Even in the infamous Bush-Gore contest in Florida in 2000, the chance that a single Florida voter could have changed the outcome seemed minuscule at the time. With hindsight it was zero, since the official margin of victory was more than one vote.
For this reason, nobody votes hoping that his vote will change the outcome. We vote instead because we like to feel involved, out of a sense of duty, or—importantly—to avoid being criticised by our friends and loved ones. These motives are enough to get about half of us out to the polls, but not enough to persuade us to engage in pointless research into the details of each candidate’s policy platform. All of which explains why many people vote, but few do so in an informed fashion.
None of this changes the fact that democracy is useless without a decent number of voters. That is why your wife is right to put you under pressure. It should go without saying that ignoring her would be highly irrational.
Does your vote really count in a democracy?
It doesn’t. So, lets have a one party rule like in China. Then no elections no votes and we will flush out illegal Bangladeshi migrants.
In the first part of your story there is a line “Is it?” This leads me to believe that you are questioning the premise that every vote counts.
This reminds me of a video clip that i saw on Youtube. It was the HT leadership conclave (or some such) where Rajdeep Sardesai questioned Modi on the correctness of our democracy saying what happens to the portion of voters who dont vote for you. It can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMZjvplDtcA
Now I wanted to compare you with this but realized that you are not as big as IBN. But what is remarkable is how you and IBN (like the Economist) who claim to be the progressive secular (left ?) media (is blog a media outlet?) of this country have absolutely no faith in its democratic foundations, the same foundation that gives you this freedom to question and denigrate every thing that you dont believe in.
Why Churumuri? why dont you believe in our democracy? If you love China so much that you are ready to do their bidding, why dont you migrate to China and leave us with our failed democratic system.
I am sure communism which has been so successful all over the world will welcome you and your ilk.
Your statement that Educated people dont vote and hence our country is in such a sorry shape, this is absolutely right. But what is very disappointing is that you are saying that educated people need not vote since individual votes dont count anyways.
Why do you pose such foolish questions? Can unbought votes count? No.
In karnataka a sane, balanced person’s vote doesn’t count.
It is impossible to think how Congress will get majority without costal and north Karnataka, and ditto about BJP.
So, It is the minority 5% votes, which are cast to Devegowda & Son’s party that count. BJP & Congress won’t work together, JD(S) with 5% vote and 20-30 seats will make both parties dance to its tune.
Party with 5% vote will rule! We call this democracy?
When tickets are sold for few crores can we hope that our vote will matter. Likewise, voters will also be bought. Shameless political parties and their leaders. In this attempt we should thank BCCI which recently auctioned cricketers. Likewise, our political parties are doing it in open which was hitherto a behind the door affair. Some people who are protesting against their party leaders should teach them a lesson. Voters never matters in our elections Only the votes to get required numbers to do ‘service!’ to the people
Any thing can happen when you select the voters.
When Mrs Shakira can become Mr Javed, and when Miss Shahtaj begum can become Mrs Md Wali.