Voting as a Moral Act?

Democracy is the framework within which the ideal of fraternity, equality and justice can become a reality through the political practice of a party that comes to power. However, should the fact that certain parties or certain representatives are repeatedly elected to the legislative houses, mean that the perpetual election to the seat of power automatically stands the guarantee for converting the democratic ideal into real experience of people? The answer to this question can vary depending on the regions where there is constant reshuffling of power seekers. However, when the elected parties and representatives use democratic means to undermine democratic ideals such as freedom, justice and equality, then one begins to doubt whether democratic ideal is a fiction or a reality. The answers to these questions have to be located in the skewedness in voting consciousness.

The voting decision may not be influenced by these ideals and hence voters may vote for a particular party or candidate using the justice or equality or freedom as the fundamental criterion. It only means that voting follows the fragmentary and perhaps mutually exclusive criterion. While some voters would keep voting, elections after election, to a political party out of parochial consideration based on caste, religion, and patronage. It is expected that there should perhaps be a singular fundamental criterion such as democratic and constitutional ideals which should guide the voting that in turn would ensure dignity for all. Dignity as primary moral value acquires expression through making the value of freedom, equality and justice as the part of empirical experience of those who are denied such experience at the first instance.