Mandatory Voting: Democracy or Dictatorship?

Politics is a dirty game. Has always been and will always be. For some people, it’s not really worth the efforts because you’d literally be losing your mind over something you could have overlooked if you hadn’t committed so much to it. To be honest, politics is just like football for supporters. Those in power are just out there doing their own thing while the fans are out there fighting each other for nothing.

There was been so many instances here in Ghana where lives have been lost over minor elections. When it comes to major national elections, lives are always lost and we move by so easily like nothing happened. I for one would actually love to be so much involved in politics because I know that it’s my right. It’s my duty to support a political party which I know will serve my country well. It’s also my dying to participate in all elections for the betterment of the country and also call our any wrong doings of anyone in a political position. But hey, I’m the daughter of my father who is not a minister or a billionaire.

People that understand me understand that in most settings, belong actively involved in politics without anyone backing you can land you in so much trouble. I remember how a youth activist got arrested and jailed a few years ago just because she joined a national protest. I bet she was arrested with other but not all of them spent a day in a cell because they probably had fathers, uncles or friends in higher positions to speak on their behalf.

At my big age, I must say that I have voted only once in my life and even with that, I low-key regret casting my vote because after that election, our country literally went down to shit. The election was rigged as the everything else following was a mess. What then was the essence of my vote if it didn’t even matter at the end of the day. The problem isn’t that the youth don’t want to actively be involved in politics or even cast their votes , the problem is that we know that all our votes won’t matter of their just going to be dumped somewhere and the entire election rigged in favour of the one paying the most.

I don’t think it’s fair to make elections compulsory for citizens. We all know it is our right and the responsibility lies on us to use that right to our advantage. Making it compulsory and even jailing citizens won’t help but rather make everything worse. Honestly, I want to think it’s a good thing we have people among us who don’t bother about politics because only God knows how some people act when they go crazy about something. If you know a football fan, you’d understand what I mean.

Participating in elections is our right as citizens but forcing it on us isn’t the way to go. I’d say the right way will be to educate the general population about the importance of being involved and the impact it will have on the country as a whole.

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First Image generated with ai.
Second image belongs to me.

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