Vancity Vote Poster (by roland)
So now that I’m officially baptized as a Th!nker, I should start to think about it. The EU, EP, elections and all that. The thing is, so far I’ve not put that much thought into the whole topic. Should I be ashamed of myself?
During the last elections (in 2004) 39,3% of the Dutch voted. That’s not a lot compared to the 80% that voted for the Dutch Parliament. So relatively speaking, because I did vote during the last election, I’m an involved citizen. However, don’t ask me whom I voted for.
With every election (local, national, EU), I start to think about it when the time has come to make a choice. I do my research: look up what parties stand for, what their vision is for the next few years, check their viewpoints on issues that I deem important, chose a person from the list that I can relate with and then vote. Then I forget about it, since that’s where my influence ends. My guess is that for most people this is the way how they approach elections.
Personally, I wouldn’t want to get more involved in the game we call politics. There is something about its culture that I know would kill my spirit. Being raised by the daughter of an alderman might have something to do with it. Still, there is this voice in the back of my mind, whispering: shouldn’t you know a little bit more about this?
That voice is one of the reasons that I signed up for this contest. It’s a push in the back to start investigating the role the EU has in my life and that investigation is what I’ll share with you in the coming months.
(13 votes, average: 3.08 out of 5)
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I wish more people thought the way you do! Ok you’re not that fond of politics, but I think that’s one of those automatic learned behaviors that we develop over time because politics is so unwelcoming (maybe on purpose even).
But you should be very proud that you research before you vote. Most people I’ve talked to don’t even do that.
I wish you the best of luck!
So the question is: Why don’t we remember whom we voted for in EP elections? I also don’t remember… Is it because one does not know enough about the candidates? Or because it seems unrelevant and far away? Or because the media don’t really get the issues in front of your nose?
@ Helena: purposefully unwelcoming politics. Like it
@ Nikola: good questions. I’d like to add, Is it good or bad that we forget who we voted for? I can see added value in both positions I guess.