#BTColumn – Choices: To vote or not to vote

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.

by Sean St. Clair Fields

Political strategists have already forecast that there will be a low voter turnout this election. As I am not a political scientist nor do I possess a crystal ball, I really can’t say if voters will stay home or if they will come out in large numbers, this time around.

What I will say though, is that in 2018 as far as I can recall, no one predicted a clean sweep (30-0) for the BLP.
Perhaps Barbadian voter patterns have become more erratic and unpredictable because we have a steady diet and far greater ease of access to “fake” or “real” news.

Few may disagree that in 2018, the BLP effectively used social media to its advantage to keep the DLP on the back foot but perhaps the real reason for the clean sweep was that Barbadians were fed up with the last DLP administration.
I am convinced though, that while (30 – 0) was a referendum on the performance of the last DLP administration, I also believe that voters sent a clear message to all political parties that it is not business as usual.

“We the people” who put you in power will remove you “entirely” if we see fit. It is undeniable that voting is the people’s absolute power but yet some of us opt not to exercise this fundamental right. Why is this? Whatever the reason that compels us to withhold our vote, we should take careful note that in so doing, we will have to live with the government that wins for at least a another five years, hard or soft, extra taxes or increased bus fares, higher utility bills, or stark increases in the cost of food, new jobs or increased unemployment.

Five years is quite a long time in our modern world and hence the choice of who will govern us is far more serious these days I think, than previous years.

In my opinion, to Vote or Not to Vote is not the most salient question but rather what kind of government we need to steer Barbados towards a path of prosperity and sustainability to the benefit of all citizens and not just a chosen few.

For all intents and purposes, this may well be a very hard choice given the performance of those who now canvass for our vote. But depending on what you want from your government, who you vote for, is an extremely important decision to make.

There are times when I hear people say that “they are all the same” BLP/DLP and the only reason they vote is because of the sacrifices that were made by their foreparents who did not have the right to vote.

There are also those who hold the view that a single vote makes little difference in the scheme of things. My friends, nothing can be further from the truth.

For those youngsters who for the first time are eligible to vote in 2022, you should know that in 1984, one vote made a significant difference as Owen Arthur who went on to become one of Barbados’ best Prime Ministers, actually lost by one vote to Mrs. Sybil Leacock, a decision which was subsequently challenged and overturned by the courts.

Had it not been for that one vote and the disquiet that it created, Barbados may not have benefited from his leadership and service.

Actually, when you think about each person who voted for Mr. Arthur, any one of their votes, could be viewed as that one vote that mattered, since if you remove any one of the votes cast, Mr. Arthur may very well have lost the seat.

As for those new or unseasoned voters who may be concerned that a candidate or political agent will know who you have voted for, take note that there is a fundamental difference between knowing if you voted and knowing who you have voted for.

Knowing who someone has voted for is practically impossible in our electoral system. It is true that a candidate or a political agent will know if you have voted and that is because when you enter the room at the polling station to vote, your name and ID number are called out, so that all the representatives (polling agents) of the various candidates will look for your name on their list of eligible voters and draw a line through it as a record that you voted.

As such, you need not worry about any repercussions or victimisation because somebody found out who you voted for; as who you voted for is entirely your secret and yours alone.

My friends, the choice may be hard, but it is yours to make and collectively the choice of who we want in charge of our affairs, is ours to make. Who should we choose? As I have my reasons that help me decide, so do you.

It is simply based on what you would like to see happen in Barbados and who you believe is best capable of delivering that which is required.

As a nation we have many issues and many things in dire need of repair or replacement and unfortunately with our limited resources many of these things will remain broken. For me, we need to allocate our scarce resources and spend taxpayers’ dollars properly.

I submit that we need effective policing of the public purse; we need our watchdog agencies at full strength to ensure that public funds are not misappropriated. That’s what I am voting for. What are you voting for? It is a hard choice my friends, but it is one we need to make if indeed we want a better Barbados.

This column was offered as a Letter to the Editor.