TO VOTE OR NOT TO VOTE

POSTED BY OMNIA ZAIED

As a general life rule I tend to avoid bad news. However since the revolution this has been proving quite challenging. I find myself having to avoid reading newspapers, come up with excuses so I don’t have to watch the news with my mum and dodge all sort of politics related conversations with my highbrow doorman by sending him off to buy me something. Everyone has become a self-proclaimed political analyst. Even logging onto Facebook or checking my Twitter feed has become like stepping into a minefield.

Now, however, there is definitely no escape. It is bad news everywhere. On huge billboards on the October bridge (where I spend nearly half of my day), jingles on the radio, TV ads, posters, viral flame wars…  it’s everywhere. And if somehow you manage to escape all that there is always the cashier at Mobil who is going to ask you the question of the year: “Who are you going to vote for?”

To me – and to a lot of other people I know – the real question is actually whether to vote at all. Please excuse my confusion, after all I am new to this whole ‘democracy’ situation and I find myself not really getting it. If over 50% of the votes went to candidates other than those in the final runoff, then does it mean they still are the final candidates? And now since we have to face the truth, is this Egypt? Does either of them represent me?

As I was trying to find out an answer to my ignorant questions, I came across this in my Facebook feed, and it sort of answered all my questions.