As my parents and I drove to the polling station during our country’s recent election day, I couldn’t help but notice a striking resemblance between the act of voting and the process of emigration.

Voting

As the voting day drew near, I found myself receiving inquiries from several acquaintances and work acquaintances about my family and I, voting plans. These queries primarily came from fellow citizens who were passionate about voting and fervently believed in the importance of every individual exercising their civic duty.

I, too, was part of this group, who asked others whether they will make their mark on the voting ballot. Interestingly, among those I approached, I discovered a fifty-fifty split: half were committed to voting, while the other half declined to participate.

Emigration

I lived through the pain of family members emigrating to another country. I use the term “pain” deliberately because the process of emigration often feels akin to enduring a permanent loss of a loved one. When you see that family member via video call and then end the call, you experience the similar emotions of grieving a death, each time.

I have engaged in talks with many people surrounding the topic, emigration. From parents bidding farewell to their children embarking on journeys, who decided to make the move to another country, right through to people who had a brother, sister or friend who emigrated. I heard a lot of opinions and feelings spoken. The hurt is “oh so” present in those who were left behind, hearts.

I’ve had conversations with individuals who have chosen to embark on the journey of emigration. For many of them, the decision was driven by consideration of their children’s future or that they didn’t have any hope for the current country they lived in. Others made the move to another country because they were seeking a life which is more peaceful than a constant hustle and bustle.

What does emigration and voting have in common?

Both of these are driven by hope. As an individual, you will make your mark on that ballot if you still have hope that either your country will change, the president will change, or that the present ruling party will either stay put or be swept from the chessboard.

Emigration is also driven by hope. You may choose to remain in your current country if you hold hope for change in the future or if you believe that another country offers a better prospect for yourself or your family.

But… both can also be driven by hopelessness.

You will decide not to make your mark on the voting ballot if you no longer have any hope that things will change. Or you will decide to emigrate to another country if you have lost hope in your present country’s ability to sustain its people or in the present ruling party’s ability to change things for the better of the country and its people.

Both emigration and voting share similarities with hope and hopelessness. You just need to decide which category you, as an individual of this world, fall into.