Nkosikhulule Nyembezi says our electoral system needs revision to generate interest in elections and give voters more say. This weekend, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) will go on a voter registration drive as the first step in the countdown to next year’s national and provincial elections that will mark 20 years of democracy. Under the IEC’s voter registration plan, these elections should see the participation in large numbers of first-time voters, most of whom were born after 1994. Given concerns that an unlikely dramatic decline in voter turnout can compromise the legitimacy of our democracy, we must ask ourselves: What can we do to raise voter interest in elections and get more young people to the polls? What can we do differently to deal with declining voter turnout in some districts as a result of disaffection with corruption and belief that voting makes no difference to public policy? There are plenty of solutions to increase voter participation that require revision of the electoral system. Sadly, it seems many politicians in power are comfortable with the way things are. After all, the system got them elected into office, why change? Another reason could be that ordinary people do not engage meaningfully in debates that could lead to progressive change of the electoral system. This could be a moment to rekindle our interest. While acknowledging that the challenge to our system of governance is greater than one election, we need collective efforts to address voter disaffection and reconnect citizens to politics. Since political parties no longer have the capacity or interest to engage in policy debates outside their official election manifestos, civil society organisations must take up this mantle. They are best equipped to reach the most alienated voters and help them understand why voting is important. Civil society organisations should also be catalysts of campaign debates on issues affecting the electorate, which political parties and professional political consultants would like sidelined. What are some of the proposals for boosting participation? First, research shows the higher a person’s income and education, the more likely he or she is to vote. While income is difficult to affect, we can provide more civic education in school and community settings. Second, parties must intensify their mobilisation efforts – it’s their primary responsibility to get voters to the polls. It is encouraging to see party posters calling on voters to register, and it’s high time municipalities waived fees for putting up these posters. Third, let us have registration that interacts optimally with the population register database so eligible voters are automatically enrolled and have their records updated when they move. Or let us use the lessons of the debate on the introduction of electronic voting and enact secure election-day registration to include eligible voters who still fall outside the registration arrangements that are cut off from the day an election date is announced. Fourth, how about including a box on the registration form for e-mail addresses so voters can receive sample ballots and information on their polling station location before election day? Fifth, let us do something about the recommendations to introduce a hybrid electoral system that not only features a constituency-based form of representation dominated by political parties as contesters of elections, but also promotes independent candidature as part of the country’s representative democracy. The recognition of political independence as a feature of the electoral process has led to the involvement of “independent” personalities in managing election institutions. Examples are judiciaries, electoral commissions and observers. The issue has also been gaining ground because of a demand that such independent personalities should not only be confined to managing elections, but participate as candidates alongside parties to defend the interests of independent voters. A hybrid electoral system framework is important when taking into account that, in our maturing democracy, an overriding aim of elections is to contribute to building institutions that promote an open society above the dominance of a single party. The system we are expending energy on to entice young voter participation offers few incentives. The clearest example of this is the form of choosing party candidates for election to Parliament and other legislatures. This system, while useful to promote party representation and unity in the early years of our democracy, has turned into a source of intra-party fighting that undermines voter confidence in a system that offers less choice on who to vote for outside what is offered by party lists. While no progressive electoral system framework can by itself guarantee a perfect democracy and high voter turnout, the manner in which a society chooses its representatives plays a crucial role in determining the broader political climate. But, in a country like ours, with a proud history of accommodation, a revised electoral system has the potential to sustain high voter turnout and attract young voters. Take the results of the first elections. Because the major political parties could not rely exclusively on the votes of their traditional constituency, they had all the incentive to act in an accommodating way on issues of national interest. The disincentives of not canvassing beyond their traditional support base were all in the other direction as they risked being marginalised in the process of building a “rainbow nation”. Twenty years into our democracy, we need not depart from the spirit of nation-building. Electoral systems can be designed to promote accommodation and moderation in a society still divided by poverty and inequality. The most reliable way to achieve this goal is to require elected politicians to gain some of their support from the communities voters identify them with for the duration of their office term. Politicians who garner votes in this way can’t play the aloofness card by hiding behind the narrow political party form of representation or get involved in corruption without fear of destroying their support base. * Nkosikhulule Nyembezi is an independent policy analyst ** The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Independent Newspapers Pretoria News iol.co.za/the-star/change-needed-to-fight-voter-apathy-1.1603891
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 08:10:32 +0000
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