Voting, or Voter's Day, is the defining moment of democratic accountability. The vote of the voter determines the direction of power. It is a day to seek answers to the many questions in the minds of the common people, to find a way out of the lingering dilemmas, to identify those who want to become representatives of the people and have a multifaceted image, and to establish that stale dreams are possible and this is the way to go.

Therefore, Voting Day is basically the Voter's Day. Therefore, voters are paramount on this day. Their decisions affect the entire political environment, public psychology, and the grammar of power. In a democracy, the highest power of a citizen is his 'vote'. On Voting Day, universal suffrage is translated into practice, which is both a citizen's right and his responsibility. Not voting cannot be understood only as giving up one's power. If a person with wrong intentions gets elected due to the absence of voters, the voter is also to blame. For voters, this day is also a day of testing to take stock of how the government has been in the past and how it will be in the future. Voters do not vote for a candidate or a particular party, but for themselves.

How much was the issue debated? How was misinformation avoided? Were the instructions of the elders (respected people or caste leaders), the girhats or other figures followed? Was there an open discussion within the household about who, why and how to vote? Was there an open exchange of ideas in the neighborhood? Why are these questions relevant? A voter is not just a spectator, but also an active participant in keeping democracy alive.

How much debate was held on the issues? How was misinformation avoided? Were the instructions of the maizan (respected person or caste chief), girhat, or other dignitaries followed? Was there an open discussion within the household about who, why, and how to vote? Was there an open exchange of ideas in the neighborhood as well? Why are these questions relevant? A voter is not just a spectator, but an active participant in keeping democracy alive. The role of a special voter is defined by the efforts made to find these questions. Voting is an opportunity where individual votes together determine the collective future. If citizens are aware, active and dedicated to their role, democracy is strengthened through elections. If they are impatient, remain indifferent, and do not participate in voting, power will be taken by those who consider the people as second nature. Therefore, voting day is a confluence of rights, duties and awareness for voters. Election date is not just a question of ‘when to vote?’ in a democracy, but a pillar of democratic discipline, political competition, and public trust. Are our collective efforts aimed at that goal? 

When a voter forgets his role, elections provide an opening for the wrong elements to take effect. Voting day is not called a test of civic consciousness for nothing. The meaning of the famous statement of the thinker Rousseau is, ‘Sovereign power lies with the people. If the people themselves deprive themselves of the use of power, sovereignty is limited to paper, then governance becomes a tool for those who reach power by misleading the people, not the people.

Staying at home without voting or considering it a time to travel abroad with your family is to create a moral distance from yourself. The political role of every voter comes into existence only through active, ambitious and conscious participation in the voting process. If the voter's intentions are not good, how high-quality can he or she assimilate his or her role? That also builds the level of democracy.

Voting day is also an existential question. 'What kind of society do I want to build?' If voters turn a blind eye to this question, the future will be guided not by conscience, moral values, but by the situation created by favoritism. Then complaints abound, complaints and grumblings are numerous, but there is no power to intervene. Criticism is heard, but participation is zero. Forgetting one's role and decisiveness on voting day is not just a personal mistake, but leaving collective destiny in the lap of chance. In a democracy, some days are not just ordinary dates on the calendar, they are a mirror of civic consciousness.

There is an Urdu poem by Shafiq Jaunpuri, ‘The boat is not only responsible for the knot, but also the manners of sitting in the boat’. Here, the boat (dunga) is a symbol of society, nation or collective system. The knot (boat driver-captain) is a symbol of leadership or ruler. This poem underlines the basic truth of electoral politics. It is not only the leaders who are responsible for the condition of the society or country, the character, awareness and conduct of the citizens are also equally important. This sentiment seems more accurate in electoral democracy, where governance is not built from the ground up, but is built from the ground up. We, as ordinary citizens, only criticize, abuse, and disagree with ‘dunga’ in public discourse, but we do not discuss ‘the manners of sitting in the boat’. Election day inspires self-criticism – have we played our role ourselves?

Voters are not just numbers in a democracy. Do voters consider themselves to be merely an integral part of the decisive mathematics of victory or defeat, or a beacon of light that guides the future? From this perspective, voting day is a day of introspection. Voters express their qualifications on the ballot paper. Every voter should ask themselves before leaving home to vote – is my decision not subject to momentary excitement, reaction, or social media propaganda? Is my decision being made with long-term national interest, institutional stability, and democratic values ​​in mind? The role of today determines the future course of action.

The psychology of the crowd expressed during the election campaign is often having a subtle effect on the conscience of voters. Roadshow crowds, viral videos, trading hashtags – doesn’t all this together create an illusion of ‘inevitability’? It’s as if the direction of the wind has been set and it is only reasonable to blow in that direction. Every voter in the polling booth should remember that the identity of democracy is not preserved by the crowd's hooting or the hustle and bustle of taking selfies, it is achieved by intelligent voting. As has been seen elsewhere, the spirit of the crowd is fleeting. The ballot paper dropped into the ballot box is permanent. Therefore, on the day of Lokotsav, keep your distance from the crowd, stay away from the planned propaganda of mobile phones. This is a day for voters to communicate with themselves.

A voter is also the guardian of democratic culture in himself. Democracy is not an abstract thing, it is a system of living, a moment-by-moment monitoring and accountability for oneself. Democracy cannot be maintained by others alone unless every citizen shows his participation and awareness in it.

If voters reward racial hatred, communal polarization or misinformation, delete excitement, reaction or valuelessness and keep Arjun's eye only on the results, then future politics is like praying for terrible turmoil. If it seeks transparency, accountability, and results along with the process, then the political power that makes the leap is also not selective, it feels pressure to remain limited to the threshold of responsibility. Voting day is a test day for the maturity of democracy. However, the question paper in this test will be in the hands of the voters today.

A voter is also the guardian of democratic culture. Democracy is not an abstract thing, it is a system of living, a moment-by-moment monitoring and accountability for oneself. Democracy cannot be maintained by others unless every citizen shows his participation and awareness in it.   The public is confused by the abundance of information. Digital platforms have made information accessible to remote areas, but have blurred the line between truth and lies. This is the first time that such psychological deception is being experienced intensively in electoral politics. So, will there be a 'vote' or a 'digital mandate' this time? That is the curiosity. Today is also a day for critical thinking. As voters, did we examine our decisions based on facts? Did we examine the background, policy commitments, clarity towards the future, and determination towards the process of the candidates and parties who came to our doorsteps, calling them new and old? Or did we get caught up in the wave of emotional exclamations, well-planned surveys, or viral videos during the silent period? 

Voting day is a moment of sacred remembrance of duty. This moment paints a picture of five years in normal circumstances. The first and primary task of reform in democracy is in the hands of the voter. Those who do not participate in the voting process and do not consider their role before voting are considered to be interfering not only with themselves but also with future generations. Each vote of each voter has equal value.

This election is not a normal periodic election, but is the result of labor pains that have come in special circumstances. The country is under pressure to move forward in search of balance. Let this election become a bridge to easily accept the good intentions that have been sprouting new ones while continuing the old and the best. This feeling must resonate in the minds of every voter while making comparative choices between the options. We need to see – which option is the best?

No candidate or party is perfect. Democracy is a process of continuous learning and acceptance. But, who has considered the public interest as paramount? Who is sensitive to democratic values? It is not that easy to decide, but this is where the strength of the voters shines.

This folk festival of voting is a celebration of the voters' self-respect. There is a lot of unrest, inequality, and internal colonial mentality in Nepali society, but when someone casts their vote outside the polling station and comes out with ink on their finger, that ink mark will be shining as a symbol of civic dignity. It reminds us – we are participants in the process of building governance. Voting is not just a formality, nor is it a ritual to please someone.