Lessons from the American midterm elections
The electoral umpire in Nigeria will flag off campaigning November 18 against the backdrop of the recent midterm elections in the United States of America. There are many lessons for citizens, politicians and the umpire from the elections that have changed the outline of the government in America. They concern essentially participation, representation and change.
As the world knows, the elections delivered a divided Legislature. Democrats now control the House of Representatives while Republicans control the Senate. It would require negotiation and compromise on significant issues to make progress. It is the best of democracy.
The midterms are significant as an indication of the direction of the pendulum. They also represent a vote on the president. In most midterms, historically, the incumbent president takes a beating as his party loses significantly in the Legislature at state and federal level and in Government Houses.
A high degree of polarisation characterised the American electorate for this election. The polarisation reflects the growing divisions following the 2016 elections. President Trump has remained on the stumps, pushing nationalism and populism. It appealed to some and turned off others. Each side held on passionately to their views, interests and understanding of where and how America should run.
The midterms in America underscored the imperative of citizen participation in the electoral process. Bothered by the changing tenor of government and governance under President Donald Trump, American citizens not only registered but trooped out in large numbers to cast their ballots in this critical election ahead of the central general elections in 2020. The outcome has been dramatic.
Two years of anger, frustration and activism by women appalled at the treatment of their gender by President Donald Trump led to an increase in the participation of women. Activists transmuted into candidates. They came out in large numbers, with 590 women entering the race. In the end, 273 of them were on the ballot.
There was a broader representation because of the increased participation. Native Americans, a group relegated for years, also came out in large numbers. They responded to the threat to their environment represented by a pipeline project of the Trump Administration. Two of their kind, both women, entered Congress for the first time. Muslim women, Latinos, and LGBT candidates all showed up, and some won to Congress or Governorship.
They diverged on several fronts. The issues covered demography, educational attainment and psychographics. According to the Pew Research Center, “There were wide differences in voting preferences between men and women, whites and nonwhites, as well as people with more and less educational attainment.”
Amidst the divisions, everyone rallied around the idea of America. The division was essentially around issues, worldviews, where and how to manage America. No one threatened the nation.
Issues dominated. President Trump made it a conversation around immigration and American security. The other side responded with the idea of the need for a more inclusive America rather than one that excludes people. Issues canvassed included education, healthcare, reproductive rights, immigration, gun violence and the environment.
The election was also a referendum on several policies. Citizens in various states voted not just to choose politicians but also to choose policies. Some states such as North Carolina and Arkansas approved voter ID requirements. Others such as Nevada approved automatic voter registration while Michigan voters approved same-day voter registration, straight-party voting and no-excuse absentee voting. In Florida, citizens approved restoration of the voting rights of 1.4million residents prevented from voting in the past because of felony convictions.
The idea of elections as a platform for direct citizen participation in the policy process is very appealing. It is democracy in its purest form. Note that it happened in addition to the existence of representatives in the state assemblies. Nigeria should take a close look at this system.
Research mattered. The issues that featured on both sides came from in-depth insights into the electorate and what mattered to them. It was primarily about the citizen and what she considered necessary.
The system worked more than 98 percent of the cases. The integrity of the system is critical to faith in the electoral and democratic process. INEC and all parties involved in the Nigerian electoral system must continue to build faith in Nigeria’s democracy by making the system work.
There were glitches. Four days post-election, there were still no results for the gubernatorial contests in Georgia, Arizona and Florida. There are charges of denial of voters, machines that do not function, and under-counting. There are also technical issues of the margin of difference between candidates triggering a need for a recount. What matters is that there is a system in place to correct the anomalies and make it work.
The message above all. Change happens only because people are motivated enough to get involved. They start from pushing causes, then turn them into platforms and parlay that into politics. Activity is critical. Citizen involvement must happen in the February 2019 elections and would include vigilance over every step in the process from now until election day and after that.