TARA ROOS | Active citizen engagement is vital in democratic process

As SA gears up for the 2024 general elections, discussions surrounding the electoral process have surged across social media platforms.

Amid these conversations, various myths and misconceptions about voting have yet again proliferated, with one of the most persistent being the belief that abstaining from voting inadvertently supports the ANC.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has vehemently and consistently refuted this notion, emphasising the importance of dispelling such myths to uphold the integrity of the democratic process. Despite these clarifications, the myth persists, perhaps fuelled by a misunderstanding of democratic participation.

Some may erroneously interpret abstention as tacit support for the status quo, although research indicates no consistent correlation between voter turnout and incumbent performance. 

Experts caution against conflating lower voter participation with implicit endorsement of any specific party, stressing the importance of active citizen engagement in the democratic process.

Myth: by not voting your vote automatically supports the ANC. Contrary to popular belief, not casting your vote doesn't automatically endorse the ANC.

SA operates on a proportional representation system, where votes contribute to the overall distribution of parliamentary seats based on each party's share of the vote.

Myth: voting for a smaller party is wasting your vote. Each vote matters towards seat allocation, even if a party doesn't secure a spot in the National Assembly or provincial legislature.

Backing smaller parties fosters political diversity and challenges the hegemony of larger parties and subsequently increases the number of total votes needed for other parties to get a seat.

Fact: voting is important – despite scepticism about the impact of voting, every ballot holds weight in shaping the political landscape.

Abstention reflects disengagement from democracy, while active participation empowers citizens to influence decision-making and hold elected officials accountable. Even if you feel that voting is not effective, it remains the greatest way to focus as South Africans to exercise our right to democratic participation.

Whether cast for a major or minor party, each ballot influences the distribution of power and representation within the government.

Myth: the Moonshot Pact does not exist. Instead, various political parties have united to endorse the multi-party charter, proposing a coalition government to challenge the ANC's dominance.

This coalition includes the DA, ActionSA, IFP, Freedom Front Plus, United Independent Movement , Spectrum National Party and the Independent South African National Civic Organisation.

It is not an official political party; voters will still need to cast their ballots for one of the parties within the proposed coalition. Prior to the election, these parties will reconvene to establish a coalition aimed at keeping both the ANC and the EFF out of power.

Fact: three ballots will be issued – Unlike prior elections with two ballots, this year introduces three ballots. Alongside the national and provincial ballots, a new regional ballot emerges. This addition allows voters to choose candidates for regional seats reserved in parliament for their respective provinces.

• Roos is a policy writer and political analyst