Spoilt for choice in the polls

Do you remember the times you have gone to a restaurant and the menu had way too many options for you to choose from, and you were so overwhelmed that you just ordered what your waitress recommended?

Choice overload. That is what those in the know call the cognitive impairment that happens during a decision-making process. It can even result in decision fatigue, sticking to the default option, or even avoiding making a decision altogether.

From what feels like unlimited types of water to the unlimited options for just the bread, choosing what to eat at a restaurant can be a harrowing experience.

Industry convention often dictates that a menu is divided into parts that maximise profit, drawing your eyes to the most profitable items. Some of the tricks include using the upper right corner for the most expensive items, as well as never using columns to classify items by price, as the first is usually the cheapest – and loses the outlet most money.

If you have never experienced choice overload, you are in luck as this year’s elections might give you that opportunity as more than 350 parties have registered with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

Are we spoilt for choice, or will we end up with choice fatigue, resulting in us sticking to what voters see as the default option or even avoiding making a decision altogether?

For the first time in our country’s history, we will have three ballot papers when we go into our voting booths. The first will be of just political parties; the second will be made up of political parties and independent candidates; while the third will be for the provincial legislatures.

According to the IEC, all three ballot papers are foreseen to be so lengthy that they might have no choice but to use a multicolumn, multipage design for the first time. All of a sudden, you have more than one face or political party at the top of each column, so where do you place your three X marks for starters, mains and dessert?

Do you vote for the first overpriced starter your eye catches in the first column, or do you peruse the menu, patiently going through pages of artisanal starters, perhaps taking a chance on an unknown, gluten-free, wheatfree, handmade bread?

Or do you ask your neighbours, colleagues and close circle for recommendations on mains? Even worse, do you just not even go the restaurant in the first place?