Is Your Vote Really That Important?

With everything going on in the country, there’s no better time to regret not having voted than right now. But don’t worry, mko wengi. But the question back then and perhaps right now is; Is your vote really that important? or maybe you had other reasons for not having voted?

Fair enough, maybe you were less than 18 years old, in which case, your time will come, be ready. Or maybe, you were in prison. In Kenya, prisoners can vote only in the presidential election, so perhaps that limited your participation. Or maybe, you were just too busy. But that still leaves a whopping number of eligible voters who chose not to vote. According to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), out of 22,120,458 registered voters, only 14,466,779 turned up to vote. That means about 35% of registered voters didn’t participate. And that registered voters. Did you register to vote?

The media often call it “voter apathy,” but that term implies that non-voters are lazy people who would rather stay in bed than go to the polling station to queue in the scorching sun for an hour. The truth is more complex. A lot of people are informed, passionate, and knowledgeable, but have chosen, for their own reasons, not to participate. What legitimate, well-thought-out reasons could they possibly have? Share your reasons for not voting in the comment below.

Does One Vote Really Matter?

It’s fun to fantasize and imagine that your one vote could tip the balance and change the result of a general election. Realistically, of course, that never happens. Much more likely, you live in a constituency where it’s pretty obvious who’s going to win. Kenya has a ‘succession’ process for picking future politicians, and it can feel like it’s pointless because which tribe you come from and who endorses you matters. This is especially true if you prefer one of the smaller parties.

But here’s the thing: even if you can’t change who your MP is going to be, you can change their behaviour. How? The way parties behave in government is influenced by more than just the election results. It’s down to the election details. The morning after the General Election, all the stats of how many voters voted for whom and where are there for all to see, and party leaders are watching very carefully.

Every vote for a small party is a vote taken away from one of the big ones, and the big ones will do everything they can to try to win you back. Don’t believe me? Just look at some recent shifts in policy. When minor parties gain support, major parties often adjust their policies to win those votes back. So, every vote sends a message, even if it doesn’t elect your preferred candidate. Remember how much influence peak Opposition under Raila Odinga had on policymaking and the general direction of decision-making?

What If Everyone Thought the Same?

Could it be that you’re not voting because you think your vote doesn’t matter? Well, it seems really obvious, but what if everyone thought the same as you? Let’s say everyone in your constituency thought their MP was really safe and there was no need to vote, I mean we know they WILL win this right? It’s happened before in many places around the world. A supposed “safe seat” can be lost if too many supporters assume their vote isn’t needed. Your MP, no matter how popular, needs your vote to ensure they get the position.

There’s also a big difference between winning by miles and winning by a hair’s breadth. If your MP gets a thumping majority, they’ll be more confident about their convictions. On the other hand, if they just scrape in, they’ll be forced to compromise and pander to voters who never liked them in the first place. So you see? Succession politics is far from perfect, but there is no such thing as a wasted vote. That’s so important, I’ll say it again: there is no such thing as a wasted vote.

What If None of the Parties Speak to You?

For many people, after reading all the manifestos, watching all the party political broadcasts, and browsing all the party websites, they’ve decided that not a single one of the parties speaks to them. If this is you, rather than remove your voice completely, why not do something more productive and more fun? You can vote “None of the Above.”

In some countries, that’s actually a box you can tick, but in Kenya, you do this by spoiling your ballot. The rules of the ballot box are strict. You put an “X,” and nothing else, to make sure there’s no chance of error or fraud. If you put a tick, colour the box in, rank the candidates out of ten, or write something else, that’s called a “spoilt ballot,” and it won’t be valid. BUT IT WILL BE COUNTED.

Politicians will see the “None of the Above” votes, and they’re much more likely to try to win you over and much more likely to fix the system if you’ve bothered to go out and vote. Spoiling your ballot is an absolute worst-case scenario, a last resort, but it’s so much better than not voting at all.

It’s totally understandable why people think there’s no point in voting, but if you do go out and vote, there’s one thing that you’re absolutely guaranteed. When you and your friends are bitterly complaining that the country is being mishandled by a government you dislike, you can at least take solace in the ability to smugly shrug and say, “Well, it wasn’t our fault.”

So, is your vote really that important? Absolutely. Your vote matters more than you think, and your participation helps shape the future of Kenya. We are held accountable to governance by voting and who we give this power. Make sure your voice is heard, you affirm your citizenship and patriotism through involvement. This is how