Why People Vote Whom They Vote For

Why People Vote Whom They Vote For

The supposedly merry month May was, for me, all about the most recent local elections, the result of which prompted me to reflect on why people would vote for this and that candidate.

Without relying on ChatGPT prompts, here's what I found out and what I honestly think.

1. 'Theory of Relativity.' In the case of our town, the results are particularly worth studying more closely for this purpose. One readily apparent reason that will explain away a voter's behavior is... the theory of relativity. No, not that, silly, but the blood connection or relation. In our neck of the woods, a huge chunk of the population is related to not just the Junios, in turns out, but also to the De Veras. One quick look at the surnames of past and present winners in all local government positions will readily prove this.

2. Name Recall. Another logical reason is that people vote for a candidate based on name recall on the day of the elections. If a voter, in the heat of the moment, blanks out, whose name do you think will she tick off or shade with a black mark? Certainly not Mr. Never Heard or that stranger with a foreign-sounding name like Mrs. van den Aardvark.

3. Demolition Job Works. People also vote based on what they've heard from the grapevine and based on how they have been convinced (more of deceived) by the political operation being done against a candidate behind the scenes, whether the mud being thrown at the target has basis in truth or not. In this regard, a year-round and nonstop demolition job through downright false, incomplete, and biased accusations, slanders galore, and defamation of all sorts would work wonders against any candidate. If a candidate is not that popular to begin with for any number of reasons, the odds are stacked against him. In my hometown, I had to deal with the most bizarre and laughable attacks against my 'manok' (chosen candidate). As they often say here, politics is indeed the dirtiest game. How much evil of this sort can one take?

4. "Okay, Soon You'll See!" People apparently treat the elections to settle scores, as many of our public market vendors are routinely heard saying. This makes an election a referendum based on feelings, based on how a voter encountered a candidate or his closest circle in person or his policy implementers. Voters will most probably retaliate against any perceived slights, be it being apprehended for a traffic violation or not wearing a helmet, or infringing on public sidewalks, or not following public market rules and regulations.

In the case of incumbents, people vote according to or against policies legislated, for or against projects implemented. A number of voters I have interviewed in confidence said they opted out because this candidate chose to implement taxation laws or charged higher tax rates, business permits, market stall fees, parking fees...

[SIDEBAR: I am reminded of what a veteran development worker once said: Filipinos have a negative attitude toward taxes; they see it as tool of oppression by government. A vendor I know even goes to the extent of saying, "Eh di yung pinaghirapan mo, sa kanila mo pa ibibigay? (Translation: Why would my own hard-earned earnings go to other people's pocket?) Appalling way of thinking, I know, but when that measly earning is indeed truly all they've got, then that view is perhaps justified. This is the reason why, the policy wonk explains, politicians who choose to implement the law on taxation such as on real estate taxes are "routinely voted out of office" in their next term, creating a vicious cycle of ridding local governments of decisive, visionary leadership while at the same time ending up with impoverished LGU coffers for the winning party. Which is, of course, unfortunate because nothing of note ever gets gone without adequate local revenue (unless of course you are fortunate to have a politician who has a generous heart and the actual capability of donating sizeable amount of personal funds).]

[This is an understandable sentiment in the case of the have-nots: people who are unemployed or without enough means to pay. But apparently, for those who have the ability to pay but would rather not, what they wanted obviously is a bigger take-home pay after obligations.]

[Voter's education and tax campaigns are therefore either necessary, but these are something people would rather tune out, sweep under the rug, or relegate to the back burner because the consequences of citizenship are just too inconvenient.]

[How to manage this far less than ideal state of affairs? Should we lecture people on the basics, i.e., Thomas Hobbes' concept of the social contract?]

[The development worker said that it is a matter of convincing the taxpayers that their contribution is good investment, something that will redound to them or their children and their children's children, not to mention to their community as a whole; a matter of convincing them that good governance, transparency and accountability, participative governance, etc. will ensure that this will happen.]

5. 'Pakurong.' People vote based on last-minute grease money -- we call it 'pakurong' in these parts. A veteran media person swears by this, based on years of experience covering local elections. What makes or breaks a candidate's chances is the last-minute distribution of money, my source said, ostensibly to buy votes. On this night of nights, voters conveniently forget what a candidate has achieved or what he or she has in store for the town. What matters is the money 'earned' at that moment.

6. Utang na Loob. Filipinos being Filipinos, people vote because of utang na loob or debt of gratitude, because of being ingratiated for any reason, whether they are in that candidate's employ or the one who hired them or some such reason to be grateful for.

7. Bloc Voting. In the case of Iglesia ni Kristo members, they vote as a bloc, i.e., according to their religious elders' consensus, which I frown upon, because why would religious leaders dictate upon my own political choices when I have a mind of my own?

8. Conscientious Choice. The more conscientious of citizens choose candidates based on their track record, the strength of their platform, on how they will be able to bring their town to greater heights, not just according to their (the voters') own interests. They ask the right question: What are elections for? They look into their hearts and say, "What is my motivation for voting? Why am I doing what I am doing?" They weigh their decisions based on this one big factor, with little regard for whether they are related by blood or kinship, whether they got offended in some way with their interaction with the candidate, whether the person in question comes off to them in a negative way (unapproachable, not good-looking, not friendly, not mabait or kind, nor makamasa or, er, has the common touch), and so on.

***

I can't believe that one day, I would become a political analyst, even without any interest in politics (although I discovered, by accident and to my surprise, that one of my grandfathers, the one named Telesforo ('Porong') Odon, became a vice-mayor one time). Anyway, let me end this by saying that elections are a referendum on who is popular for one reason or another. People generally love candidates who are perceived to be competent, honest, and has the interest of the majority of the people foremost on their agenda.

Most people also prefer to listen to their own personal preferences and go for those who have the common touch, someone they can easily relate to, someone they perceive as being one of them or one of their own, preferably a relative, 'kanayon,' 'kaapelyido,' 'kabandaan,' 'kaibigan,' someone they can talk to in person and touch, someone whom they perceive as the one politician who will truly care for them and what they stand for in life. (They are most probably the voters of Rick Astley, someone who will "never give you up, let you down, run around and desert you, make you cry, ever say goodbye, tell a lie, and hurt you.")

But sadly, people also will vote for candidates willing to buy their votes, candidates who share the same hate, animosity, or 'tampo' against the contending side. Some people also vote according to the dictates of their religious group.

Then there are those who choose to vote wisely. These are my kind of voters.