To begin, I want to clarify that this is not a post to encourage or discourage you to vote or engage in politics.
In all honesty, I’m unsure of how I feel about voting or politics, especially with the state of our world.
However, after listening to episode 3 of the podcast Octavia’s Parables, I began to reflect on how I engage with politics and the potential impact of that engagement, or lack of it.
Particularly regarding the possible implications of the choices I make today on future generations as well as the impact choices I have made about voting in past could be having on the present.
The extent to which we engage in politics is influenced by so many factors but how often do we actively examine these influences?
I have put together a collection of journaling prompts for election season that has helped me to consider my political choices and any actions I take.
Journaling Prompts for Election Season
Questions
- When and from whom did you first learn about politics? What influence, if any, has this had on your engagement with politics?
- How engaged are you politically? (This can be workplace union level or local, national or global politics)
- Who or what influences your decision to vote, or not?
- What factors influence who you vote for? (Family/community voting history, personal values, personal circumstances, social background, economic status, party policies, etc.)
- Have the factors that influence how you vote changed over the years? If so, how and why?
- What regrets, if any, do you have about votes you have or have not made in the past?
- When you vote, do you consider your own personal circumstances (past, present and/or future), a particular group or section of society or do you think more broadly?
- To what extent, do you consider the social, economic and environmental impacts of your vote or choice not to vote?
- Who stands to benefit from your vote, or choice not to vote?
- Who may be disadvantaged by your vote, or choice not to vote?
Sentence starters
- Voting is…
- My vote…
- Politics is…
- Politicians are…
- Elections are…
- Democracy is…
Unsent Letter Journaling Prompts
Writing unsent letters is a powerful journaling technique.
When considering any decision you plan to make about voting, writing an unsent letter can help you look at things from an alternative perspective.
I invite you to write one or both of the following unsent letters:
Letter 1
- Write a letter to a child in your life, 10 years from now. So if that child is currently 5 years old, write to them aged 15.
- In this letter, outline the reason for your voting choice today and the future you hope your choice has created for them.
Letter 2
- Write a letter to an 11-year-old child who is part of an underrepresented community, 10 years from now. For example, the child you write to could be a refugee or an asylum seeker. They could be from an ethnic minority, have a disability or identify as trans or non-binary.
- In this letter, outline the reason for your voting choice today and the future you hope your choice has created for them.
For both letters, consider the following (remember, you are writing to them 10 years in the future):
- What impact has the vote you place today had on the child’s life and the world they are living in?
- What have been the social, economic and environmental impacts of your vote, or choice not to vote?
- Did your vote, or choice not to vote, give them more or fewer opportunities?
***
Whether or not you choose to vote is entirely up to you.
The intention of these journaling prompts for election season is to simply encourage you to be more intentional about your choice whenever you have an opportunity to vote.
When it comes to elections there can be a lot of false and misleading information so it’s important to know where you stand independent from the views, opinions and manipulation of others.
As your journal is a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space, it is a great place to get clear on your core values and beliefs, beneath the social conditioning and explore what can often be a volatile topic of conversation.
For more prompts to inspire your journaling practice, follow on Instagram.
Image Credit: Unsplash
