Dear Editor,
In Guyana, the outcome of elections depends on the number of votes cast for a party. And that number is itself the result of two factors: the number of citizens who cast valid votes, and the number of Guyanese who abstain, or cast invalid or spoiled ballots. It follows, therefore, that citizens who abstain or spoil their ballots, have an effect on overall results, which is mathematically equal to that of those who cast valid ballots. In other words, voters and non-voters alike, decide electoral outcomes.
Many political philosophers and scientists recognise the right of citizens to abstain from voting for any of the contesting parties or candidates. The experts, including many judges, say that citizens have the right to reject all of the candidates. Indeed, some countries include a ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option on the ballot-paper itself. A vote for NOTA means that the voter does not approve of any of the parties or candidates. Countries with the NOTA option include India; Bangladesh; Pakistan; Spain; Colombia; Russia; and Greece, the birthplace of democracy itself.
In 2009, the Supreme Court of India – the world’s most populous democracy – ruled that Indian citizens have the right to choose NOTA. The court emphatically declared, “The no vote option gives the voter the right to express his disapproval with the kind of candidates that are being put up by the political parties.” Going further, the judges declared that the, “provision of negative voting would be in the interests of promoting democracy.”
Editor, democracy is all about choice. One must be free to choose any party or candidate. More fundamentally, a citizen must feel free to reject all parties or candidates. Since Guyana does not have a NOTA entry on the ballot-paper, Guyanese could legitimately decide to abstain from voting. In other words, an abstention may not indicate apathy; instead, the considered choice not to cast a valid ballot, is a legitimate, rightful and respectable choice. Some may also argue that the constitutional right of Guyanese to engage in protest, extends into the polling booth; a citizen may have the right to protest, by spoiling his/her ballot.
Yours faithfully,
Mark DaCosta
