Where to start again? Perhaps addressing a question I was asked not too long ago: "What do you say to someone who says their vote doesn't matter?" In addition to the question, I'm also bothered by a certain political sign on a lawn in my neighborhood -- not because of the sign itself, but because I know the folks who have posted it, and I fear they haven't considered some important things. (Of course, they may just disagree with me -- isn't that a great thing about freedom?) So I've been thinking about these things for a few days now, and thought I'd get back into the swing of things by jotting (can one "jot" on a computer?) down some of those thoughts...
Historically, voting is a very rare privilege, so I approach the subject with something almost like reverence - -I get to live in one of the relatively few cultures in history in which ordinary people like me can have at least some say in selecting the people who rule us. (Or in more democratic parlance, "serve as our leaders.") So my first thought is that every vote matters simply as a statement of privilege -- of the amazing ability to have a voice, even if it is a small one.
Beyond that, though, I think some important principles apply and are worth the consideration of everyone who brings to the privilege of voting any degree of sobriety:
1) The Candidate. I believe that from a Biblical perspective, Being is more highly regarded than Doing. Who is the candidate? What values form the core of their being, and the way they see the world? And out of that framework, how likely are they then to support and uphold Biblically important values? Will they lobby for and uphold elements of our country or community that are healthy and good? Will they seek to change elements in our culture or society or world that are unhealthy and destructive? How does the candidate personally measure what is good and what is evil? Finally (and this is where Doing comes in), does the candidate's general life and actions match his words? A vote for a person who demonstrates integrity and who upholds foundational values and perspectives could never be wasted, even if they don't win -- see below...
2) The Party. Unfortunately (to my mind), most candidates come associated with a party, and most will often in the end vote for or in other ways support their party's agenda. So some of the same questions from above apply: What does the track record of the party look like? What do party members typically support and lobby for? What is the party affiliation of those in the news who uphold the values you believe in? What is the party affiliation of those in the news who typically oppose those values? Unless the candidate is an Independent, party affiliation may be an important reason to reevaluate voting for a particular candidate, because of the likelihood of the candidate using her influence to further party objectives.
3) The Voter. The questions I've raised regarding the candidate and the party assume some important things on the part of the voter. When it comes to an election, what are Biblically important values? What is good, and what is evil? The Scripture says that God values doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with Him. (Micah 6:8) How are we to apply justice and mercy in the public square when dealing with modern issues? For one example, the Bible indicates throughout that economic gain belongs to the person who worked for it -- how does that idea get applied with wisdom in the modern U.S.? The point here is not to supply many specifics (that would probably be many additional articles), but to raise the question for all of us voters -- have we really thought about how the candidate or the party sees the world and forms opinions and judgments about it, and do we agree with that vision and believe that it is the right vision? Or do we at least conclude that of the options available to us, this one or that is the best or the least bad? And from a Christian perspective, have we subjected that vision and our vision to the words of Scripture to see whether they line up with Biblical norms?
4) Success. If success in voting is that "my" candidate wins, then there are certainly elections in which it is a waste of time to vote. But I think that is far too shallow a measure of success. We can vote and let our voice be heard for a number of reasons that are all valuable:
- Voting is (as I expressed above) a privilege in and of itself. It seems to me that to not vote is to undermine the value of the democratic system, to be apathetic, to refuse to be heard, to refuse to come to a conclusion, to refuse to exercise a stewardship that God has given to all who live in free countries. I believe that just for these reasons, one should vote, and vote intelligently.
- From direct democracies to federal republics, the size and strength of the opposition is important. We all have to live together - we all have to build a society that will contribute toward a sustainable, peaceful, productive way of life. (Or we can descend into anarchy -- it has certainly happened before.) My candidate or your candidate or party may not win, but the winning person or group will be checked and held in balance by a significant minority position. Significant opposition groups can create compromise, mitigate the effects of bad legislation, ensure healthy loopholes or exceptions, and at the very least demand debate. This healthy give and take requires that people work together to try to create something sustainable. After all, the fundamental element missing in a dictatorship is meaningful opposition. Political power is checked and called to account by opposition - so vote even if you think your position is the minority one: at the very least, you can be part of creating and maintaining meaningful opposition.
- Surprises happen. Many times people have voted for what they assumed was a minority position only to find that many of their neighbors felt the same way -- and have ended up winning the day. Some issues in our community have been settled in recent years by literally just a few votes. Five or six more people voting might have changed the outcome. So it seems unwise to assume what will happen, and better to exercise the privilege of voting.
- Personal benefit. The effort to pay attention, understand the issues, and try to reach conclusions is at the very least good for our minds and can help us develop and understand our own position and values. Even if in the end you felt your vote didn't "count," if you put some thought into it and tried to engage, exercise your reason, and understand how your values intersect with the larger community and culture, you are coming out ahead.
We often have candidates who have very different visions of what the world should look like, and of how people should live and be governed. We often have issues on our ballots that are important for shaping our culture either for good or the other way around. As we hear the candidates speak, and as we examine these issues, are we filtering the ideas through a Biblical framework? When we don't know what the Biblical framework is, are we seeking to find out? When the issue seems to be concerning a subject to which the Bible does not speak, are we checking to be sure it doesn't? Are we then looking for general Biblical principles that might still apply?
And in the end, are we then voting for the candidate, or the party, or the issue that to the best of our understanding will promote, pursue, protect, and otherwise work for those principles and values? Finally, will we vote as an act of stewardship, leaving the results to the God who is sovereign over the affairs of men, and trusting that we don't have to "win" to win? After all, remember this:
Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning?... He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away... "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One... Isaiah 40:21-25
I encourage you to engage, vote, make your voice heard. I don't think there is such a thing as a vote that doesn't count.
When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. Proverbs 29:2
