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This is probably the last piece I’m going to do before the elections and I hope my thoughts will resonate with some of you.

There’s no doubt that the atmosphere is tense, and it’s become impossible to share your thoughts on anything without being antagonized for it,depending on who it “seems” to favour.

It’s understandable that people are invested deeply in something they believe in; but it’s not enough reason for us to be so worked up over it, we’re all going to the polls to vote for who and what we believe in.

And this is why it’s important to understand certain things before you go an cast your vote tomorrow.
 
1. You’re entitled to only ONE (1) vote. Regardless of your class, religion, tribe and how much noise you make, we all get ONEvote and nothing more.

2. Your vote is private for a reason,  and you’re under no obligation to share who you voted for. This is to ensure that you vote in YOUR own interest and not in the interest of others because of pressure or coercion. So take advantage of this and vote for who and what you truly believe the country needs.

3. People belonging to other parties are NOT your ENEMIES; they just don’t share the same political party or ideology as you and that’s where it should end.

4. EVERY VOTE COUNTS. The winner of the elections needs to secure  %50 +1 votes.  This means every single vote counts and your vote could be THE ONE (1)  that’s the deciding factor between who wins and who loses. So if you don’t vote and your candidate doesn’t win, know you could be the reason why.

5. It’s your RESPONSIBILITY to vote. Citizens are given the powerto decide what’s  best for the country by voting for a leader they believe will ensure the growth and development of the country. When you don’t vote, you’re relinquishing that power and leaving it in the hands of someone who’s vote may not be in your best interest.

6.Prepare your mind to Accept the results, especially if your candidate doesn’t win. Because if you were willing to accept the results if your candidate had won then you should be able to accept when your candidate loses. There are no guarantees in elections, so you should hope for the best, but prepare for the worst outcome also.

7. Be graceful winners. If your party wins, don’t feel the need to rub it in everyone’s face. People put their heart and soul into someone they believed in, allow them to mourn their defeat, even if it’s for a little while.

8. Prepare to support whoever comes or stays in power. In the end this is about Ghana, and you voted for your candidate because you belived he/she is was what the country needed. If you decide to work against the government to run the country down just because it’s not what you voted for ,know that you’re also going to suffer the consequences.

9. No government is going to magically put money in your pocket or change your life; they may make the economy grow, put up great infrastructure and everything else they promised. But you’re going to have to put in the work like everyone else to afford the life you want. If you’re unwilling to do that, even the best president can seem like the worst to you because you will still be poor.

10. Treat each other with respect. The beauty of democracy is that it affords us all the opportunity to have varied views and political affiliations, but this right comes with a responsibility to respect others, even if their views aren’t in line with ours.

In the end we’re voting for a president for four years, not a life time, let’s not treat this like a do or die affair; especially when there’s always a chance to kick the person out later.

Ghana is bigger than any political party or a 4 year government. I would rather live for 4 years under a government I hate, than struggle in a civil war for decades.

There is more to life than an election. – Johnny Odadie Cobby