Abstention means you stayed at home or went to the beach. By casting a blank vote, you're saying that you understand your responsibility, you have a political conscience and you came to vote, but you don't agree with any of the existing parties and this is the only way you have of saying so.
Interpretation
Casting a blank vote reflects discontent with existing political options while still participating in the electoral process.
In this quote, Jose Saramago emphasizes that abstaining from voting can imply a passive choice, while casting a blank vote signifies a conscious acknowledgment of one’s civic duty and a refusal to support the available candidates. This act serves as a form of protest, allowing voters to express their dissatisfaction with the current political landscape without completely opting out of the democratic process.
In practice
During a debate on electoral participation, one might quote this to highlight the importance of voting choices.
Why did we become blind, I don't know, perhaps one day we'll find out, Do you want me to tell you what I think, Yes, do, I don't think we did go blind, I think we are blind, Blind but seeing, Blind people who can see, but do not see.
I can't imagine myself outside any kind of social or political involvement. Yes, I'm a writer, but I live in this world, and my writing doesn't exist on a separate level. And if people know who I am and read my books, well, good; that way, if I have something more to say, then everyone benefits.
...you have to leave the island in order to see the island, that we can't see ourselves unless we become free of ourselves, Unless we escape from ourselves you mean, No, that's not the same thing.
Whether we like it or not, the one justification for the existence of all religions is death, they need death as much as we need bread to eat.
With the passage of time, as well as the social evolution and genetic exchange, we ended up putting our conscience in the color of our blood and the salt of our tears.
En ningún momento de la historia, en ningún lugar del planeta, las religiones han servido para que los seres humanos se acerquen unos a los otros. Por el contrario, sólo han servido para separar, para quemar, para torturar. No creo en dios, no lo necesito y además soy buena persona.
I think our democracy has it exactly right: two terms, eight years. It's enough. Because it's important to have one foot in reality when you have access to this kind of power.
When Paris sneezes, Europe catches a cold.
A political problem thought of in military terms eventually becomes a military problem.
It is our experience that political leaders do not always mean the opposite of what they say.
We need to get beyond the politics of the moment, the deficit of the hour, the military count of the day, the numbers that rarely shape events. Our long-term interests must be in people and in the values of democracy and individual liberty.
I'm always rather nervous about how you talk about women who are active in politics, whether they want to be talked about as women or as politicians.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.