The Bored and the Disgusted

Only 68% of potential voters bothered to vote in New Zealand’s latest election. Commentators have already given various clichéd responses to this record low turnout including the likes of: ‘the 32% who didn’t vote failed in their duty to participate in our democratic system’; ‘the 1 million non-participants represent the apathetic and apolitical’; and ‘those who didn’t vote shouldn’t complain about the government we now have’. In contrast to such patronising words of wisdom, guest blogger John Moore argues that not voting is in fact a rational and sensible response to bland politics. In light of an election where most of the parliamentary parties promoted ‘strategic’ voting to bring about either a Labour-led or National-led government, turning away from mainstream politics in disgust or out of sheer boredom should be seen as a legitimate action. The fact is that for many eligible voters neither of the ideologically similar two major parties seem particularly likeable, and so abstaining from this election clearly seemed like the most sensible thing to do. [Read more below]

via liberation.typepad.com