I’ve been reconnecting with a few old school friends recently, and the other evening over a beer I asked them if they were going to vote.
The table exploded with incredulous scoffing. “What kind of a question is that?” one asked. Of course they were all going to vote; it had hardly crossed their minds not to. One even declared she wouldn’t want to be friends with anyone who didn’t vote.
It reminded me how grateful I am to have grown up around people who have that attitude towards voting. We registered to vote together, at school. Our parents dragged us to the voting station as soon as we were eligible, and by the time we had moved out and needed to drag ourselves to the voting station, we just did it.
Not all South African voters are like us.
Voter turnout is at an all-time low in our democratic history, and local government elections historically have a lower turnout than national elections. According to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), turnout for the most recent National and Provincial Elections in 2024 hit an all-time low of 58.6%. In our last Local Government Elections (LGE) in 2021, turnout was even lower at 45.8%, more than ten percentage points down from the previous LGE in 2016.
To fix it, I believe it’s time we brought back shame.
Shame works
If I were to abstain from voting tomorrow (I won’t, don’t worry!), my friends would know about it.
My Instagram feed would be filled with photos of people’s thumbs. Even those who painted their nails to protect them from the ink would snap a photo before removing it, just in case someone asked to see. In my circle, they will ask. And they will shame you if your thumb is clean.
But if you are not surrounded by people who will ask, if there is nobody to gasp and exclaim “Why not?!”, it is far easier to skip voting and just enjoy the public holiday. For some, that alone could be enough to keep them away from the polls.
This goes beyond anecdote or speculation. Voting campaigns have been using shame – or, more gently put, peer pressure – for years to increase turnout, either for particular candidates or overall.
Sasha Issenberg begins her 2012 book, The Victory Lab: The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns, with a story about two tactics used to increase turnout for a Democratic candidate in Colorado in the 2010 Senate race.
First, a million letters were delivered to Colorado residents thanking them, by name, for voting in the previous election, and expressing the hope of extending that same gratitude after they had voted this time as well. Then, closer to the election, an email was sent to remind previous voters of their commitment to vote in the election and telling them it was time to follow through.
Neither mentioned the names of the candidates or the campaign issues that dominated TV ads and other campaign material, but Democratic-leaning residents were targeted. When election day came, the Democratic candidate won.
Voter or liar?
As shown by these letters and emails, a subtle and effective way to shame people into voting is by getting them to commit to it before the time and then reinforcing that commitment as voting day approaches. That is the foundation of the Institute of Race Relations’ #PledgeToVote campaign. Funded by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, #PledgeToVote aims to increase voter turnout through a Voter Pledge: a commitment to vote in tomorrow’s 2026 Local Government Elections.
Pledging your vote is a smaller, easier commitment than voting itself. Once you make the commitment, you start receiving emails containing all the information you need to vote, and reminders of your commitment. Crucially, somebody else knows about it.
This may sound vaguely threatening, but it’s hidden beneath layers of positive messaging: an emphasis on the virtues of voting, the feeling of being part of a community of voters, and constant congratulations and thanks for making the commitment to vote. And, remember, they signed up for this.
Voters who have made the pledge are already on board with the idea of voting and are willing to accept nudges to get them to the polls. They can unsubscribe at any time and can forget about their pledge without any material consequences. And, yet, behind every “you promised to vote” is a “if you don’t vote, you will be a liar”. When voting day arrives, you make the choice: voter or liar. Many will choose voter.
Using the power of shame for good
Shame is a powerful emotion that regulates social behaviour. It is often used for evil: cosmetics companies shame women for showing normal signs of ageing, public figures are shamed for tweets from a decade ago that express views that are out of step with the moral standards of today, and men are shamed for seeking help with their mental health.
But shame can also be used for good. It can stop us from tossing an empty water bottle out of the car window, or cutting the queue at Home Affairs.
And it will get many of us to the polls tomorrow.
[Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/21179686@N05/4557043759/in/photolist-7WG3kZ-9W3Zse-cHyT9f-9FnGYD-7z53sp-bCrXtj-9JGa8b-9JDkWM-9GP4Bo-9SE6AX-e9NVoE-dURf7u-n8Jvo8-igfyhh-bCrXmu-fcsBfY-fcsz7j]
If you like what you have just read, support the Daily Friend