The Blogs: Forget the propaganda: Small parties don't burn votes | Raphael Poch

Raphael Poch argues that the common warning against voting for small parties in Israeli elections is propaganda that benefits large, established parties. He contends that voting for a party you believe in is a statement of conscience, not a wasted vote, and that a truly wasted vote is one cast for a party you do not support.

In a blog post on The Times of Israel, Raphael Poch argues against the common election-season warning that voting for small parties in Israel is a waste of a vote. He contends that this narrative is propaganda that benefits large, established parties. Poch draws on examples from Canadian politics, where he grew up, and ancient Athenian democracy to support his view that every citizen's voice should count equally, regardless of the party's chances of passing the electoral threshold. He acknowledges that votes for parties that fail to cross the 3.25% threshold do not translate into Knesset seats, but he argues that such votes are a statement of conscience and can help grow new political movements. Poch concludes that a truly wasted vote is one cast for a party the voter does not believe in, which will cross the threshold easily and continue its policies without accountability.