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I’m not finding it easy this year to decide which candidate and what party will get my vote on Saturday 7 November and I know many others are sharing my political uncertainty –  not only in New Zealand.

So, what to do?

I’ve done my best to read party manifestos and listen to local and national candidate views. Overall I’m not sure how much my new knowledge has helped my clarity.

The problem is that so often everything is promised by those seeking power and later, especially in coalition compromise, little is delivered.

So I then decided to vote for the candidates I trust only to realise that the ones I most trust are not standing in my electorate, and one electorate even has two candidates from different parties to whom I would happily give my vote.

In recent days I have turned to online questionaires (I have now completed three) answering questions about which issues are most important to me and which parties and candidates match my preferences.

Unfortunately this didn’t seem to help much either.

Now I have decided to vote as if I were one of the most needy people in our society – using my vote to benefit them.

My method has been simple.

I think of someone (by name) who I know to be struggling – perhaps sensing that their burden is financial, health, security, relationship or employment.

Then I complete the questionaires from their point of view answering on their behalf (albeit from my limited perspective of their reality and their need).

When I did this a clear consensus came to light with very similar results across the questionaires and a clear indication of which party and parties would most represent their views and work to meet their needs.

And now it is my intention to use my vote as a gift to those in need.

And to those who might be thinking of not voting…surely this opportunity to participate in the life of our nation is too important to discard?

Perhaps you are considering to use your vote as a protest, a reaction against what you don’t like in our current political environment? Rather than be motivated by reaction against why not search for policies and people you can positively endorse?

Of course the way things are at the moment is not ideal. But isn’t that true of everything I’m involved in, even my own life?

And thanks be to God that Christian faith gives us the ability to live as people of hope in the midst of  ambiguities and imperfections in every person and institution, seeking out and nurturing every seed of life and hope.

I welcome your own election advice in the comments section below where I’m sure we can help each other to vote wisely and well.