CU
R RENT
HOW TO
VOTE n
in a Election Season
When election season comes around, every party claims to be the best for the country and for you. In the midst of the confusion, how can you make your vote count? BY BRADEN BLYDE
6
SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2022
we’ve got the key to the door—and if we do, how to use it. How do I vote? Who do I vote for? What am I going to base my decisions on? These were all questions I—and many like me, I am sure—had to face as a young adult. Now, more than a decade on, and with another Australian federal election looming, I am faced with similar questions. So, I recently set out to discover a little more about how I, as a Christian, should vote this election. I didn’t want an answer to the
unanswerable question of “Who should Christians vote for?” but rather, “How can Christians best prepare and cast their vote?” Even if you’re not a Christian, some of what I discovered might help you to think through your voting process.
what does the Bible say? SERGEY TINYAKOVfiGETTY IMAGES
F
or most Australian school students, a trip to Parliament House in Canberra is an event long remembered. Its grand architecture, and a growing understanding of the decisions that are made within those walls leave a lasting impression. I, and many 12-year-olds like me, stood in awe of this, Australia’s “home of democracy”. Fast forward a few years, and at 18 we are finally granted the privilege to cast our own votes. But on reflection, the years b etween often leave us unprepared for the moment. We’ve seen the house, but are unsure whether
As the foundation of Christian faith and practical living, the Bible seemed like a good place to start my journey towards polling day. But, it was quickly apparent that the Bible definitely does not make it clear who to vote for. It does, how-
ever offer some useful insights into how we should approach elections: Be a good steward: One of the most fundamental values given to humans by God in the Bible is that of stewardship—we are to look after the things that God has given us. Reading 1 Peter 4:10 highlights that as citizens of a free, democratic country which allows us to vote for our leaders, we can—and should—exercise our stewardship by using our vote well. Promote respect: We should honour and respect our leaders—even MAY 2022 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU
7
