This article is brought to you by spunt.mt, a local page covering current affairs, economics, politics, history and everything in between. They provide unbiased information and discussions on various issues in Malta and abroad.

THE ELECTION IS HERE! But how can you become a better voter? Here are our 5 simple steps!

1. Set your agenda.

Political parties will want to set the agenda and make sure the voters think some issues are important whilst others are not.

To avoid this, make. a list of your top issues, in order of which the country should address first.

Bonus: Do this list as early as possible to avoid campaigns influencing your priority.

2. Listen to different opinions with an open mind.

Don’t think of yourself as a supporter, but think of yourself as a judge whose respect and vote has to be earned.

3. Find a balance in your media consumption.

A news item is reported differently across media platforms, each of which have their own agenda.

Make sure to understand what agenda and bias your news source may have and try to consume all sides of the story to formulate a better informed opinion.

Warning: All reporters have their bias; whether they care to admit this or not is a different question.

4. Listen to smaller parties too.

Small parties make valid points, but do not have the resources to push their message. They may also discuss topics that are too controversial for the main parties to even discuss.

5. Keep arguments separate from the person saying them.

When tuning in to a debate, it is important to understand what people are saying and distinguish between what the message is and who is saying it.

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This article is brought to you by spunt.mt, a local page covering current affairs, economics, politics, history and everything in between. They provide unbiased information and discussions on various issues in Malta and abroad.

Are you still pondering whether you should go vote or not? Well, wonder no more as we go through the arguments for not going to cast your vote.

1. I do not like either of the main parties.

You might feel dissatisfied by the two main political parties. In some way or another, both might have disappointed you. This lack of choice has eroded your will to vote. Duopoly in parliament was not always the status quo.

In the past, parliament was actually made up of multiple parties, which over time merged to pool resources and votes, forming the main parties of today. Presently, a number of third parties do still exist, and it is true that none of these parties have recently made a significant mark on politics. However, if people who are dissatisfied with the PN and PL decide to show up at the polling both, how can these smaller parties ever leave a mark?

2. The small parties are not up to the task.

Some may believe that these third parties are amateurs and cannot possibly provide solutions to the country’s problems, so once again, they will revert to either choosing the traditional parties or abstaining from voting altogether. The election is an exercise in choosing who people think is the best option to lead the country in the next 5 years. Even if you have a low opinion of all parties, one party surely ranks higher than the others. Choose that option.

Remember, you represent a specific demographic with specific thoughts and concerns. Abstaining from voting will only result in voters with different priorities than your own to make decisions for you.

3. Not voting sends a message that I am not happy with the system.

To be blunt, it does not.

Political parties win elections by obtaining 50%+1 of the entire vote. It’s all about percentages. If the turnout decreases from 92% to 87%, the electoral process is not affected. It simply means that other people have made the decisions for you. Your opinion is the one that did not get heard. Like we said before, assuming you do not consider any of the options as ideal, once you sit down and analyse their proposals, one party will come out on top.

4. I see no difference between the two main parties.

Admittedly, both major parties have moved closer to each other on the political spectrum.

However, they are not identical. Both parties have different objectives for the next five years, and their politicians have different skills. Each party has different proposals which will affect you differently.

Make a list of your own priorities and match them with what the political parties are saying. One of them will overlap more than the other for sure.

5. I do not understand politics.

Sometimes, politics can get complicated, but more often that not, it is more straightforward than you think.

No shame in asking and discussing. Dedicate a few minutes to reading the news and finding out what is going around you. And if you do not have a clear answer to some of your questions, Spunt has you covered. We are just one message away from answering your queries. In the past, we have answered questions from our audience, and we look forward to doing more of that in the future.

6. My vote doesn’t matter.

Yes, the icing on the cake. For those who believe their vote doesn’t count, the argument is pretty fickle. In a democracy with such a small electorate as Malta, every individual vote counts more. In 2017, if 11 out of every 100 PL voters decided to vote PN, the outcome would have been the opposite way round. Some candidates only surpass their opponents and get into parliament by a handful of votes.

It is also important to remember that when voting, you are not only choosing parties, but also choosing candidates. Candidates have different skills, track records and values. Make sure that the candidate that represents your beliefs the most beats the ones that do not.

In a democracy, people get the government they deserve.

Voting is the essence of living in a modern, free democratic country. It is a right, but more importantly, a duty.

It is your chance to influence outcomes, and to make sure that the future of your society reflects your wishes. Do not let others make the decision for you.

If you choose to abstain from this civic duty, remember that other people close to home are currently fighting for that very right.

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