Mx. Mayor

Aims of the tool

To make participants aware of their personal selection mechanisms in the election process and enable them to make sound decisions free from manipulation

Description of the tool

Possible Roles (please adjust as necessary depending on local needs and cultural biases):

Mayoral Candidate 1 (religious, a farmer, friendly and humorous, 45 years old, candidate of an established party)
Mayoral Candidate 2 (non-religious, 25-year-old, holds a masters in public policy, from the region and an independent candidate)
Voter 1: University graduate + unemployed + defends the candidate they choose until the end
Voter 2: teacher + does not participate in debates
Voter 3: Housewife + does not reveal their opinion until the last moment
Voter 4 - Nurse + Decides based on promises
Voter 5 - Teacher + Conciliatory
Voter 6 - left school early + Decides based on promises
Voter 7 - Businessperson + Wealthy + Political + Constantly changes their mind
Voter 8 - Civil servant + Defends the other candidate, regardless of who they vote for
Voter 9 - respected elder + Decides based on their needs
Voter 10 - Engineer + non-believer
Voter 11 - Neighbor of the candidate + member of the established party
Voter 12 - Merchant
Voter 13 - Farmer
Voter 14 - Housewife
Voter 15 - Unemployed
Voter 16 - Retired
Voter 17- Student
Voter 18 - Choose your own role :)
Voter 19- Be yourself
Voter 20- Be yourself

(Individuals should be given time to enter and exit their roles in this section; the facilitator must remind them of this. "If anyone is unhappy with the role they have chosen, please let us know. These are just roles, but if you have any concerns, changes can be made.")

Process:
- It is explained that a selection will be made in the current activity and a mayor will be chosen from among two mayoral candidates.
- Role cards with typical characteristics of people at the time of the election and indicating whether they are mayoral candidates or the public are distributed to the group.
- Two mayoral candidates are selected based on the random role cards.
- These two candidates are taken away from the environment with the facilitator. In the environment they are taken to, they are asked to define the character written on the papers and create their own characters based on that, and to put on costumes. (Example characteristics for candidates: Suited, well-groomed, male, disabled, female, female with children, male with children, born in the city, immigrant background, young, old, independent candidate, quick to respond, inclusive, populist, religious, and non-religious)

- Candidates are given 5 minutes to prepare a speech appropriate to their character
- The facilitator, who enters the environment where the voters are located, distributes the same instructions to the voters. (Sample characteristics for voters: decides based on the candidate's family, decides based on the candidate's party, decides based on the candidate's hometown,...)
- After 5 minutes, mayoral candidates enter the space where voters are. Voters are asked to note their initial choices before the candidates give their speeches.
- The first votes are collected and not opened.
- Then, the candidates come to the front of the group.
The facilitator shouts, “Voting season started,” as if they were a news anchor announcing the elections
- The candidates give their speeches, the votes are collected a second time and not opened.
- The candidates leave the room, and the voters praise or criticize the candidates according to the characters they have assumed and prepare questions (15 minutes).
- Candidates in different locations are asked to prepare for possible questions the public may have.
-The candidates meet with the voters again and answer their questions.
-The votes are collected a third time and remain unopened.
- The facilitator, playing the role of a reporter, says, "esteemed public, the polls have closed and the votes are being counted,” and the role-play ends.
- Everyone forms a circle again and performs the ritual of stepping out of character.
- The votes for the three elections are opened in order, and voters are asked after each box which candidate they voted for, why, and how they felt.

The debriefing session begins (these are possible questions and should be revised based on the observation of the facilitator throughout the exercise):
- What did we do during this role-play? When did the role-play begin for you, and when did it end?
-What did you feel at each stage throughout the activity? If you were a mayoral candidate instead of a voter, what would be different?
- Did you change your vote? Why did you change it? Why didn’t you change it?
- What did you notice about yourself and others? How did you act as a voter or a mayoral candidate?
- What do you want to do differently from now on?