In my country (eastern Europe) we had elections (for the parliament members) recently, and I was first time in my life taking part in it. (After 17 years in JW I am fading out, but becouse of my wife and son I do it step by step)
I became JW after my high school, so never had a chance to go to the elections, elders were explaining me "we do not vote at the elections, becouse we voted for JAH already..." It did not make any sense to me, but everybody in JW was saying the same thing, so I did not question the issue ...
After 17 years I got to the point to see that to make no statement on political issues is actually also a statement (just irresponsible...). I wanted to be responsible for the community I live in so I decided to go to the elections.
Becouse my wife is a zealous JW I went there late evening, I made at home some fake excuse, dressed up like a stranger so nobody can recognize me (polling station was close to local Kingdom hall...) I got there to be sure not to meet any JW just before they were to close the pollling station at 9:45 p.m. Polls were at the local school, but when I got there, there was a TV news crew van in front of the building! They had a TV reporters there to make interviews with responsible citizens comming to the polls even so late. There were very little people comming in, so the chance of being caught and broadcasted in local TV live was terribly big! So I was standidng there, late dark night, dressed like some rapper with head covered to not be identified, hiding behind cars, making up my mind whether to go or not to go .... and then I got the point how stupid this cult is! They cover up pedophile crimes, they teach doctrines that make people die, teach children to give up their life in hospitals, destroy families and at the same time they make people to to feel so guilty for such stupid thing like going to the elections! So I went in (for the first time in my life!) and did the vote! TV crews were not interested in me, which was good. But I must admitt, to avoid the guilt feeling probably will take some more time, becouse I really felt bad inside the polling station a little bit... like being a criminal, like a thief, like going to the brothel .... What a terrible mind control .... Hope next time it will be better...
Do you have similar experience?
Albert