The most often heard excuse for not voting in an election is "my one little vote won't make a difference." Yet history is full of instances proving the enormous power of one single vote. In many cases, the course of nations has been changed because one individual ballot was cast — or not cast — depending upon your point of view.
If you think that your vote won't make a difference, please consider the following:
1. In 1645, one vote gave Oliver Cromwell control of England.
2. In 1649, one vote literally cost King Charles I of England his head. The vote to behead him was 67 against and 68 for — the ax fell thanks to one vote.
3. In 1714, one vote placed King George I on the throne of England and restored the monarchy.
4. In 1776, one vote gave America the English language instead of German (at least according to folk lore.)
5. Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson and Rutherford B. Hayes all became US Presidents by a margin of one vote.
6. Texas, California, Idaho, Washington and Oregon all became part of the USA by one vote. The map of the US would have been very different.
7. In 1846, a one vote margin in the U.S. Senate approved President Polk's request for a Declaration of War against Mexico.
8. In 1867 - The Alaska purchase was ratified in the Senate by two votes, paving the way for future statehood in 1958.
9. In 1868, one vote in the U.S. Senate saved President Andrew Johnson from impeachment.
10. In 1875, a one vote margin changed France from a monarchy to a republic. In 1940, the vote taken to maintain its status as a republic also failed. By one vote.
11. In 1916, if presidential hopeful Charles E. Hughes had received one additional vote in each of California's precincts, he would have defeated President Woodrow Wilson's re-election bid.
12. On November 8, 1923, members of the then recently-formed revolutionary political party met to elect a leader in a Munich, Germany beer hall. By a majority of one vote, they chose an ex-soldier named Adolph Hitler to become the NAZI Party leader. We all know what happened after.
13. In 1941, the Selective Service Act (the draft) was saved by a one vote margin — just weeks before Pearl Harbor was attacked.
14. In 1948, a Texas convention voted for Lyndon B. Johnson over ex-Governor Coke Stevens in a contested Senatorial election. Lyndon Johnson because U.S. Senator by a one vote margin.
15. In 1948, if Thomas E. Dewey had gotten one vote more per precinct in Ohio and California, the presidential election would have been thrown into the U.S. House of Representatives where Dewey enjoyed more support than his rival — incumbent Harry Truman. As it was, Dewey was expected to win the general election by a landslide so most Republicans stayed home. Only 51.5% of the electorate voted. Truman defeated Dewey.
16. In the 1960 presidential election, an additional one vote per precinct in Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, and Texas may have altered the course of America's modern history by denying John F. Kennedy the presidency and placing Richard Nixon in the White House eight years earlier.
17. In 2000 - The Presidential election was decided by an extremely narrow margin. George W. Bush won the state of Florida by just 537 votes, making him the 43rd President of the United States. Close to 6 million voters went to the polls in Florida. It might not have been by one vote, but certainly every vote counted.
18. In 2008 - Minnesota voters cast 2.9 million votes in their US Senate race that eventually was decided by 312 votes (1/1000th of one %)
19. South Africa lost the bid to host 2006 world cup to Germany by one vote.
YOUR ONE VOTE COUNTS!
Sources
http://cltr.co.douglas.nv.us/Elections/History_at_Work.htm
http://www.learn-usa.com/of_relevance/vote.htm
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Jonathan wins by default
In what might be a first for a democratic country, a sitting President comes to a debate and is the only participant. The incumbent didn’t appear at either the debate organised by NN24 or that organised by Enough is Enough Nigeria, tagged ‘What About Us’. Ibrahim Shekarau and Nuhu Ribadu attended both. Dele Momodu and Muhammadu Buhari one each. Candidates Shekarau, Ribadu and Buhari boycotted the BON debate in protest at Goodluck Jonathan’s absence from earlier debates.
The result was that the BON debate became something of a farce on one hand, and a missed opportunity by the opposition candidates on the other hand. One of the main aims of a presidential debate is for an incumbent to be grilled rigorously on his record by the moderator/panellists and by his challengers. Those tough questions were in short supply. Nothing was asked about the Niger Delta or the solution to the Jos crisis, or indeed, why he didn’t go there in the aftermath of the latest disturbances. He did well on issues of agriculture, women participation in governance and questions on the petroleum sector, but his response on electricity and corruption left much to be desired. Questions about the direction of our national budget were also omitted. The moderator correctly said that due to time, not all questions could be asked, which does make one wonder just how the Nigerian Electoral Debate Group prioritise debate questions, and why despite visiting Lagos 10 times in about 2 months, President Jonathan could only find time for one debate.
That said, I think that the opposition candidates short-changed themselves by letting Jonathan have the reach of the NTA unchallenged. A lot more people get NTA in their homes than Channels or NN24. They also denied the viewing public the gift of contrast, of comparing the candidates as they stand side by side and make their points. A combination of Buhari, Shekarau and Ribadu would have put Jonathan under real pressure, even put him in the shade, and we will never know what the outcome of that would have been. They each lost a chance to make a last minute personal appeal to the voters, to change a few minds. Strategy and pragmatism should have taken precedence over making a point, as the latter gives no votes. If the PDP wins the Presidency again by a much narrower margin, the absence of the opposition from the BON debate could be seen as a factor. An appearance in front of several million people at once would be worth a lot of rallies and posters. One wouldn’t have expected such a lapse in judgement from a retired General, a retired policeman, and a mathematician. Maybe Jonathan is really lucky after all.
The result was that the BON debate became something of a farce on one hand, and a missed opportunity by the opposition candidates on the other hand. One of the main aims of a presidential debate is for an incumbent to be grilled rigorously on his record by the moderator/panellists and by his challengers. Those tough questions were in short supply. Nothing was asked about the Niger Delta or the solution to the Jos crisis, or indeed, why he didn’t go there in the aftermath of the latest disturbances. He did well on issues of agriculture, women participation in governance and questions on the petroleum sector, but his response on electricity and corruption left much to be desired. Questions about the direction of our national budget were also omitted. The moderator correctly said that due to time, not all questions could be asked, which does make one wonder just how the Nigerian Electoral Debate Group prioritise debate questions, and why despite visiting Lagos 10 times in about 2 months, President Jonathan could only find time for one debate.
That said, I think that the opposition candidates short-changed themselves by letting Jonathan have the reach of the NTA unchallenged. A lot more people get NTA in their homes than Channels or NN24. They also denied the viewing public the gift of contrast, of comparing the candidates as they stand side by side and make their points. A combination of Buhari, Shekarau and Ribadu would have put Jonathan under real pressure, even put him in the shade, and we will never know what the outcome of that would have been. They each lost a chance to make a last minute personal appeal to the voters, to change a few minds. Strategy and pragmatism should have taken precedence over making a point, as the latter gives no votes. If the PDP wins the Presidency again by a much narrower margin, the absence of the opposition from the BON debate could be seen as a factor. An appearance in front of several million people at once would be worth a lot of rallies and posters. One wouldn’t have expected such a lapse in judgement from a retired General, a retired policeman, and a mathematician. Maybe Jonathan is really lucky after all.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Revoda- A potential game changer.
'The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything' - Josef Stalin (1923)
All parts of the RSVP (Register, Select, Vote, Protect) campaign are important, but the chilling quote above makes the case that perhaps the 'Protect' part of the process is the most crucial. A candidate could have a perfect campaign, put his points across, convince and mobilise voters and all that, but once the election is rigged, especially in a tight race, all could be lost. What would follow might be a lengthy court battle at best, given the nature of our legal system.
The Enough is Enough Nigeria coalition has once again taken the lead with a phone application that could turn a lot of voters into election observers and give them the power to protect their votes by making reports on the conduct of the election at their polling units which will be compiled and which are actionable. The name of this application is called 'REVODA', and it can be gotten by texting 'GO' to 08128882011. A link will then be sent to your fone to download the application. After downloading, go to the menu section and register your polling unit number and full name. There is also the option to 'Tell a friend' about Revoda, which I hope everyone does.
One of the most crucial things REVODA should be used for is to report the number of voters ACCREDITED at a polling unit. Voter accreditation is a new dimension introduced by INEC to further reduce rigging. The total number of voters who intend to vote is to be known before the actual voting takes place. Accreditation will be between 8am and 12.30pm and voting commences immediately after. The total number of voters ACCREDITED should be reported, so that if the number of ballots cast is higher than that figure, the results are invalidated as it will be a nearly sure case of rigging. After voting, voters are also allowed to stay behind and monitor the counting process. The final vote tallies should also be reported. Reports on events in between like early/late arrival of election officials and materials, violence, ballot box snatching, and also if the process is peaceful, will be useful to get the true picture of the conduct of these very crucial elections.
Election observers can't be everywhere all the time. The citizens, however, can be. The Revoda app is yet another tool that can aid the people to get more involved in the process, and make sure that their will is upheld at the ballot box. The tool is here and it is left for the people to use it. Download it, and share with your friends. Spread the word. Come out and vote, and after voting don't go back home. Protect your vote. 3 saturdays is not too much to sacrifice in order to have a better 4 years.
All parts of the RSVP (Register, Select, Vote, Protect) campaign are important, but the chilling quote above makes the case that perhaps the 'Protect' part of the process is the most crucial. A candidate could have a perfect campaign, put his points across, convince and mobilise voters and all that, but once the election is rigged, especially in a tight race, all could be lost. What would follow might be a lengthy court battle at best, given the nature of our legal system.
The Enough is Enough Nigeria coalition has once again taken the lead with a phone application that could turn a lot of voters into election observers and give them the power to protect their votes by making reports on the conduct of the election at their polling units which will be compiled and which are actionable. The name of this application is called 'REVODA', and it can be gotten by texting 'GO' to 08128882011. A link will then be sent to your fone to download the application. After downloading, go to the menu section and register your polling unit number and full name. There is also the option to 'Tell a friend' about Revoda, which I hope everyone does.
One of the most crucial things REVODA should be used for is to report the number of voters ACCREDITED at a polling unit. Voter accreditation is a new dimension introduced by INEC to further reduce rigging. The total number of voters who intend to vote is to be known before the actual voting takes place. Accreditation will be between 8am and 12.30pm and voting commences immediately after. The total number of voters ACCREDITED should be reported, so that if the number of ballots cast is higher than that figure, the results are invalidated as it will be a nearly sure case of rigging. After voting, voters are also allowed to stay behind and monitor the counting process. The final vote tallies should also be reported. Reports on events in between like early/late arrival of election officials and materials, violence, ballot box snatching, and also if the process is peaceful, will be useful to get the true picture of the conduct of these very crucial elections.
Election observers can't be everywhere all the time. The citizens, however, can be. The Revoda app is yet another tool that can aid the people to get more involved in the process, and make sure that their will is upheld at the ballot box. The tool is here and it is left for the people to use it. Download it, and share with your friends. Spread the word. Come out and vote, and after voting don't go back home. Protect your vote. 3 saturdays is not too much to sacrifice in order to have a better 4 years.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Can Nigeria's social media generation change the course of the elections?
The genesis of Nigeria's youth driven movement for change began in 2009 with 'Light Up Nigeria'. This started primarily as an online movement to draw attention to the issue of poor power supply in the country, and as a means to pressure the government to take concrete steps to address it. Since then, the movement has expanded. During the leadership vacuum caused by the illness and eventual passing of Umaru Yar'Adua, the cry became 'Enough is Enough' when it was clear the country was being held hostage by fewer than a dozen people. Two rallies, one in Abuja and another in Lagos were held to demand, among other things, that then VP Goodluck Jonathan carry the mantle of leadership in Yar'Adua's absence as contained in the constitution. The conversation now turned to the fact without electing good leaders, 'Light Up Nigeria' would never see the light of day (pun intended). Hence the 'Enough is Enough' coalition of youth bodies was formed. That coalition set about creating awareness on the need to register to vote, careful selection of candidates, voting on election day, and staying back to protect the votes and make sure they aren't tampered with. It was tagged 'RSVP'. The voter registration was a success, with over 73 million people registered. Of this number, 65 per cent are young voters. The Enough Is Enough coalition seeks to leverage this by organising a youth driven debate tagged 'What About Us?', Where candidates will take unscripted questions from young voters in a bid to win the youth vote. With 65 per cent of the electorate, it is very fair to say that any candidate who wins youth voters will win the election.
The above serves as an introduction for the real point: the efforts of the EIE coalition are very commendable and necessary, but do they speak for the majority of young people in Nigeria? This question has to be asked because the impact of this movement seems to felt more online, through social media tools like facebook, twitter and blogs. How many people do these speak to? As of now, there are just over 3m facebook accounts in nigeria and only about 300,000 or so twitter accounts. In a country where 70 per cent live on less than a dollar a day, the proportion of those 'connected' is low compared to the rest of the population. The majority of youth are the danfo drivers, the okada riders, traders, the security men, domestic helps, vulcanizers, mechanics and so on. These are the people who are not online, and who don't have the benefit of knowing what should matter in this crucial election season. These are the same people who are likely to cause violence, sell their votes, or choose a candidate for the wrong reasons. This undoubtedly plays into the hands of those candidates at all levels who would rather not debate the issues, choosing instead to reduce the discussion to vague slogans. President Jonathan declined the NN24 debate, and looks likely to also decline the 'What About Us?' Debate this friday in favour of the one organised by the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) on March 29 which is likely to be scripted. Interestingly, in 1999, 2003 and 2007, the PDP candidate has not attended the BON debate. This paints the picture of a ruling party that doesn't feel they will be punished at the ballot box if they don't turn up to face the electorate and debate the issues. So far, they have not been wrong. The President could yet attend a debate, but if this country's social media savvy youth don't like what they see, what are they going to do about it? I have an idea: how about if everyone with a blackberry, twitter/facebook account mobilises 10 or more other people to vote for an opposition candidate? Would that make a difference? If even 1 million nigerian youths on facebook get 10 others to vote one way, will 10 million votes make a difference? Yes? I thought so. What needs to be understood is that using social media for change is never an end in itself. It is a great way to get started but the bulk of the work is always in face-to-face contact, to convince people in the streets to vote for your candidate. A point has to be reached where youths outside the boundaries of the internet identify with a cause. That way the effect of every tweet, every status update is multiplied and it cannot be ignored.
President Jonathan connected with the streets by talking to D'Banj about his plan for the youths. His wife, Patience Jonathan does that by talking to market women, artisans and the like in the language they understand. Other candidates and their supporters on social networks can do it too. There is still time.
The above serves as an introduction for the real point: the efforts of the EIE coalition are very commendable and necessary, but do they speak for the majority of young people in Nigeria? This question has to be asked because the impact of this movement seems to felt more online, through social media tools like facebook, twitter and blogs. How many people do these speak to? As of now, there are just over 3m facebook accounts in nigeria and only about 300,000 or so twitter accounts. In a country where 70 per cent live on less than a dollar a day, the proportion of those 'connected' is low compared to the rest of the population. The majority of youth are the danfo drivers, the okada riders, traders, the security men, domestic helps, vulcanizers, mechanics and so on. These are the people who are not online, and who don't have the benefit of knowing what should matter in this crucial election season. These are the same people who are likely to cause violence, sell their votes, or choose a candidate for the wrong reasons. This undoubtedly plays into the hands of those candidates at all levels who would rather not debate the issues, choosing instead to reduce the discussion to vague slogans. President Jonathan declined the NN24 debate, and looks likely to also decline the 'What About Us?' Debate this friday in favour of the one organised by the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) on March 29 which is likely to be scripted. Interestingly, in 1999, 2003 and 2007, the PDP candidate has not attended the BON debate. This paints the picture of a ruling party that doesn't feel they will be punished at the ballot box if they don't turn up to face the electorate and debate the issues. So far, they have not been wrong. The President could yet attend a debate, but if this country's social media savvy youth don't like what they see, what are they going to do about it? I have an idea: how about if everyone with a blackberry, twitter/facebook account mobilises 10 or more other people to vote for an opposition candidate? Would that make a difference? If even 1 million nigerian youths on facebook get 10 others to vote one way, will 10 million votes make a difference? Yes? I thought so. What needs to be understood is that using social media for change is never an end in itself. It is a great way to get started but the bulk of the work is always in face-to-face contact, to convince people in the streets to vote for your candidate. A point has to be reached where youths outside the boundaries of the internet identify with a cause. That way the effect of every tweet, every status update is multiplied and it cannot be ignored.
President Jonathan connected with the streets by talking to D'Banj about his plan for the youths. His wife, Patience Jonathan does that by talking to market women, artisans and the like in the language they understand. Other candidates and their supporters on social networks can do it too. There is still time.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The President and the Kokomaster help each other out
It’s impossible for anyone who wanted an election campaign based on issues not to come away from President Jonathan’s 25 minute chat with D’Banj with a sour taste in the mouth. The President has (so far) not participated or confirmed participation in any debate, giving a string of excuses why not. Instead, he agreed to an ‘interview’ with the maker of one of his campaign jingles, who dutifully nodded throughout and asked 3 obviously scripted questions.
Not like D’Banj actually has any real blame. This is just the latest in a series of high profile PR stunts that the artiste has put together to boost his profile and that of his label. Any truly honest observer wouldn’t have expected anything else. He is just trying to move up in the world after all. Sitting down with the President in between music collaborations with Snoop Dogg and Kanye West will take his celebrity to new levels and his net worth too. Even four years ago, D’Banj did a jingle for the PDP so no surprises there.
President Jonathan also got what he wanted. He is leveraging the popularity of D’Banj among young voters to connect with them, if only in a superficial way. He offered little in the way of solutions. Once again he repeated his pledge to build a federal university in every state, tax breaks for businesses who employ graduates, strengthening of anti-piracy laws to protect intellectual property and announced a $500m fund for SMEs. Such hard hitting topics like corruption, power and security were avoided altogether, questions that would definitely have to be answered in a rigorous, unscripted, competitive debate.
Nigerian youths might still get to see the incumbent step up to defend his record. A Presidential debate hosted by NN24 is to hold on Friday the 18th, with a final debate tagged ‘What About Us?’ to hold on the 25th. There are burning questions though: Even though the reaction to the interview with D’Banj on facebook and twitter was almost entirely negative, will it hurt Goodluck in the polls? Or will it actually help him connect with the grassroots? Will all the outrage among Nigeria’s digital youth make a difference? Even IF he doesn’t attend any debates, will it change the course of the elections? The answers to these questions will be unknowable until a day or two after April 9th. There are some views that the movement among youths for change in Nigeria is too ‘elitist’, that it doesn’t connect with the majority who don’t have internet access, facebook, twitter and blackberries, that the numbers are too small to effect change.
What is for sure is that a President who doesn’t stand before the people he leads to give an account of his stewardship should lose his mandate to lead at the ballot box. Whether or not this will happen remains to be seen.
Not like D’Banj actually has any real blame. This is just the latest in a series of high profile PR stunts that the artiste has put together to boost his profile and that of his label. Any truly honest observer wouldn’t have expected anything else. He is just trying to move up in the world after all. Sitting down with the President in between music collaborations with Snoop Dogg and Kanye West will take his celebrity to new levels and his net worth too. Even four years ago, D’Banj did a jingle for the PDP so no surprises there.
President Jonathan also got what he wanted. He is leveraging the popularity of D’Banj among young voters to connect with them, if only in a superficial way. He offered little in the way of solutions. Once again he repeated his pledge to build a federal university in every state, tax breaks for businesses who employ graduates, strengthening of anti-piracy laws to protect intellectual property and announced a $500m fund for SMEs. Such hard hitting topics like corruption, power and security were avoided altogether, questions that would definitely have to be answered in a rigorous, unscripted, competitive debate.
Nigerian youths might still get to see the incumbent step up to defend his record. A Presidential debate hosted by NN24 is to hold on Friday the 18th, with a final debate tagged ‘What About Us?’ to hold on the 25th. There are burning questions though: Even though the reaction to the interview with D’Banj on facebook and twitter was almost entirely negative, will it hurt Goodluck in the polls? Or will it actually help him connect with the grassroots? Will all the outrage among Nigeria’s digital youth make a difference? Even IF he doesn’t attend any debates, will it change the course of the elections? The answers to these questions will be unknowable until a day or two after April 9th. There are some views that the movement among youths for change in Nigeria is too ‘elitist’, that it doesn’t connect with the majority who don’t have internet access, facebook, twitter and blackberries, that the numbers are too small to effect change.
What is for sure is that a President who doesn’t stand before the people he leads to give an account of his stewardship should lose his mandate to lead at the ballot box. Whether or not this will happen remains to be seen.
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