Topics Ethics

Question Students in my school are currently voting for a Student Representative, and I am one of the nominees. After reading all nominees' manifestos, I have come to conclude that I above all others seem the best person for the role. We have been told to vote for whom we think would be best, and I believe this is me. There is no rule against voting for yourself, however I do worry that this is in some way morally wrong. My concerns are whether it is okay (as I am voting for the person I genuinely believe to be the best equipped, as is the purpose of a vote), or whether this is simply my way of justifying my own subconcious bias and need to satisfy my own ambition - the status and benefits of getting the position. Also, I believe I would not still vote for myself if the votes were not anonymous. Is there any well-known moral stance on this issue?

Accepted:
June 22, 2009

Comments

Congratulations both on your nomination and on your pangs on conscience - the latter is too rarely seen among more experienced politicians!

However, I am happy to set your mind at rest. Voting for oneself in an election poses no moral hazards that I can see. (I would change my mind about this if we were talking about a corrupt system, where the vote is rigged or certain voters are unfairly excluded.)

I suspect your worries come from two fronts. First, it may seem egotistical to vote for oneself. This would explain your shy refuge in the anonymous vote. Rather than think of it as egotistical you might instead see this vote as confident: you are confident in your ability to work hard and take the job seriously. One thing that tells me this confidence is justified and not ego-driven is the very fact that you wrote in to us. You are already taking the post seriously before it is even yours.

Second, you raise the interesting idea that your belief in your candidacy is not due to your diligent interpretations of the manifestos, but your subconscious motivations. The only way to really tell if your proposals for the school are superior is to talk to other students about your ideas and see what they think. This is what campaigns ought to be about. You need not go about it in a boorish way, kissing babies and shaking hands (or whatever the school equivalent is). Of course, rational dialogue and campaigns frequently don't spin in the same orbit so don't be horribly disappointed if the student response is less than what you would like.

Good luck and remember to spell your own name correctly!