TODAY is voting day — the day of resolve that all Malaysians excitedly anticipate. Stress is increasingly felt. No further campaign activities will be held and no more criticizing. No more ambiguous assurances. It is now up to the voters to determine who will represent their interests in parliament.
Hereby, I would like to share a theory that can explain one of the most important factors regarding the rationality of voter behaviour, namely, “The Rational Choice” theory of behaviour, which is based on the research of several western scholars. My discussion applies to the current general election scenario.
Rational choice behaviour is one of the voter behaviours that candidates must be aware of and comprehend to predict their votes.
In his 1957 article entitled “An Economic Theory of Democracy,” Anthony Downs developed this concept of sharing.
Firstly, Downs asserts that voters will act rationally when going to the polls and make voting decisions based on the benefits they will receive as a result of their votes.
This is written on the party’s platform and must be implemented to become a reality. Voters will choose candidates who can represent their views in parliament.
Thus, it is important to address issues. Voters count on the candidates to fulfil all campaign pledges.
Additionally, Downs recognises that political and economic decisions are interdependent. The connection is simple to comprehend. A consumer will compare the prices of goods on the market before making a purchase decision based on the value of goods. Likewise, the truth of elections is that voters must choose.
Inevitably, voters will select parties or candidates based on their ability to satisfy their needs. This implies that each individual (voter) will make an informed decision based on the issues that will benefit them the most. The issue of recycling is currently unpopular among voters.
Today, voters are knowledgeable and know how to judge. This is what Coleman (1990) refers to as a rational choice, which is the rational action of an individual (voter) to do an activity for a certain purpose (election), where the purpose is decided by the value supplied by the candidate and the choice made by the voter.
With this, the option itself is determined by the elements that influence a voter’s decision. This means that voters will assess current concerns that can benefit themselves and society before casting their ballots.
This action demonstrates that the worth of a voter’s vote does not always depend on political or ethnic allegiance or religious affiliation. Kahneman and Tversky (1979) concludes that the above explanation of voter behaviour is a utility-maximising approach.
For today’s incident, we would want to observe the reasoning of the voters as their decisions will undoubtedly be a factor in determining the outcome of the 15th general election. There will inevitably be voters who change their minds at the final hour.
Unpredictable circumstances happen because elements have a substantial impact on voter behaviour when elections are in place.
The final force of conviction must be authorised and directed by the candidates and the parties’ senior leaders. Voters will select the most suitable candidate.
On this day of independence, it is very right to assert that the people are the decision-makers. This is an extremely important decision with the mandate to set the country’s future for the next five years.
“Voters would act rationally when going to the polls and making voting decisions based on the benefits they will receive as a result of their votes.” (Anthony Downs, 1957)
** Dr Nur Aida Kipli (PhD) is a senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak.
The views expressed here are those of the analyst and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
