KEY POINTS:
It is a delightful oddity of New Zealand's constitutional law that nothing in the nature of election debate can be printed on the election day. Delightful, because the respite from politics in the news lends today a solemn silence that it deserves.
We go to the voting booth as private individuals with the nation's welfare momentarily in our hands.
It is an awful moment, in the true sense of awe. Alone with the pencil and the ballot paper the gravity of the decision hits home. Debates, polls, positions taken in conversation become background noise. In the silence you can take as long as you need. Actions not only speak louder than words, they tap into a deeper vein of personal identity, interest and commitment. The vote counts.
To be precise, the party vote counts. No comment on election day should fail to reinforce the fact that only one of the two votes now offered for Parliament will directly decide how strong each party will be. The other vote, for the electorate MP, will ordinarily add nothing to any party's total tally of seats. Exceptions occur if the electorate winner's party fails to win 5 per cent of the party vote.
Today's election follows hard on the heels of America's historic result which offers a fine example of how cathartic an election can be. It is the task of political leaders not just to present voters with their options, arguments and criticisms of opponents but to help the country come together again when the contest has been decided.
There comes a time to remind a democratic society that however heated the election may have been, there remains more that unites us than divides us. One of the unfortunate byproducts of the adoption of MMP is that this reminder is now seldom heard on election night. When the count is completed and seats awarded proportionately there is normally more than one conceivable coalition. In those circumstances it is unreasonable to expect either of the main contenders to concede.
And by the time negotiations produce a Government the need for a gracious concession has passed. Perhaps the production of a Government from a genuine majority of voters obviates the need, or perhaps the electorate is just relieved to have a Government of any kind after a week or two. But something has been lost.
Today, though, is not for leaders or loud voices. It is for everyone of voting age. This country can be proud of its usual turn-outs.
The United States election this week attracted great numbers of young people and blacks who have had low participation rates previously and its national turn-out reached 64.1 per cent of eligible voters. Ours is typically around 88 per cent and used to be well above 90 per cent.
Those who choose not to participate today cannot pretend their reasons are anything more respectable than indecision or indolence. A claim that their vote will make no difference does not wash. Every vote is counted. Even those for parties that do not reach 5 per cent or win an electorate at least register in the results. Those "wasted" votes also increase the number of seats distributed among parties that clear the threshold.
The non-voters' other common excuse, that Governments will go their own way regardless, is half-true. Elections cannot freeze the future. Those elected will face events they cannot foresee. Voting is not a matter of carving a set of promises in concrete but of selecting people whose instincts and outlook and capabilities give the most confidence that they will respond to challenges wisely.
Today, more than usual, we are casting our lot for uncertain times.