Manners in Election Season - 2026

We Can Disagree Without Losing Respect

By Tami Lancut Leibovitz

“Who are you voting for?”

At first glance, it seems like a simple question.

But during an election season, it can quickly turn from innocent curiosity into an intrusive question, a heated argument — or even a rupture between people.

We are living through a highly charged period.
Opinions are strong, emotions are intense, and the tone of public debate often becomes sharper by the day.

Turn on the television — people are arguing.
Open social media — reactions come fast and furious.
Enter a family WhatsApp group — and one political comment can change the atmosphere in seconds.

This is precisely when we need to remember something very simple:

Manners are not the same as agreement.

Being polite does not mean giving up our views, remaining silent or avoiding disagreement.

• We are allowed to disagree.

• We are allowed to criticize.

• We are allowed to protest.

• We are even allowed to believe that the person sitting opposite us is completely wrong.

But we can do all of that without humiliating, dismissing or turning another human being into an enemy.

Because before a person becomes a political opinion, a party supporter or a vote —

they are a person.

“Who are you voting for?” — Is It Polite to Ask?

Voting is personal.

Some people enjoy openly discussing their political choices. Others consider their vote private. Both are perfectly legitimate.

If we choose to ask, we should also leave the other person room not to answer.

Instead of: “So, who are you voting for?”

we might say: “If you’re comfortable sharing, have you decided who you’ll vote for?”

And if the answer is, “I’d rather keep that private,” the conversation should move on.

• No pressure.

• No interrogation.

• No guessing games.

And certainly no judging an entire person according to the ballot they intend to cast.

A Person Is More Than a Political Camp

Election campaigns tend to divide people into categories.

• Right.

• Left.

• Center.

• Government.

• Opposition.

• For.

• Against.

But human beings are far more complex than one political label.

We can disagree with an opinion without dismissing the person who holds it.

Instead of: “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

try: “I see it differently.”

Instead of: “How can anyone possibly vote for them?”

try: “I’d like to understand what leads you to see it that way.”

The change in language may seem small.

The change in the quality of the conversation is enormous.

You Don’t Have to Win Every Conversation

A conversation between friends, family members or colleagues is not a televised debate.

There does not always need to be a winner and a loser.

• Listen until the other person finishes.

• Disagree without interrupting.

• Ask before responding.

• And recognize when a conversation has reached its natural end.

Sometimes one of the most civilized sentences we can use is:

“We probably won’t agree on this — and that’s okay.”

That is not weakness.

It is the maturity to understand that preserving a relationship may matter more than having the final word.

Leaders Need Manners Too

The responsibility for respectful public discourse does not begin and end in our homes.

Political candidates, elected officials, members of government and opposition leaders have a particular responsibility for the language they use.

Policy can be challenged forcefully without humiliating a person.

Deep disagreement can be expressed without insulting an entire group of citizens.

An election campaign can be vigorous without making people who think differently feel that they no longer belong.

Leadership is not only about what is said.

Leadership is also about how it is said.

Words spoken from a stage, in a television studio or online do not remain there.

They enter our streets, workplaces, homes and family conversations.

Anyone seeking to lead a country should remember:

the people who do not vote for you are citizens too.

And What About the Media?

Disagreement is a natural — and healthy — part of democratic life.

But shouting is not necessarily good debate.

When everyone speaks at once, interrupts and tries to win by raising their voice, we may get more drama — but not necessarily more understanding.

Public debate can also have boundaries.

• Let people finish their sentences.

• Distinguish fact from opinion.

• Ask difficult questions without humiliation.

• Do not turn insults and shouting into entertainment.

Disagreement is not the problem.
The way we manage it is the real test.

And on Social Media?

Before pressing “send,” “share” or “post,” take a moment.

• Is the information accurate?

• Is the source reliable?

• Is the video complete or edited out of context?

• Am I sharing information — or simply sharing something because it made me angry?

And perhaps the most important question:

Would I say these same words if the person were standing in front of me?

There is a human being behind every profile picture.

A keyboard does not exempt us from manners.

A Family Is Not a Polling Station

Perhaps nowhere is this more important than at home.

Parents and children do not have to vote the same way.

Partners do not have to hold identical political views.

Friends of many years can disagree profoundly about politics.

• Do not turn a family meal into a loyalty test.

• Do not demand that someone justify their vote.

• And do not allow one election campaign to erase a relationship that has taken years to build.

We can say:

“I don’t agree with you, but I respect your right to think differently.”

That may be one of the most important sentences we can use during an election season.

And in the Workplace?

Colleagues do not have to share the same political worldview either.

There is nothing wrong with discussing current affairs, but we should notice when conversation becomes pressure, persuasion or an attempt to determine who is “with us” and who is “against us.”

No one should feel required to reveal their vote in order to belong to a team.

True professionalism includes the ability to work respectfully with people who think — and vote — differently.

Before You Respond, Ask Yourself Three Questions

Before posting, replying or delivering a sharp response, ask:

• Is it true?

• Is it necessary?

• Can I say it without humiliating someone?

If the answer to the last question is no, try again.

You do not have to weaken your message.

Just remove the insult.

What Happens the Day After?

Perhaps this is the most important question of all.

When the election is over, we will wake up in the same country.

• We will meet the same neighbors in the elevator.

• Work with the same colleagues.

• Sit in the same traffic.

• Send our children to the same schools.

• Drink coffee in the same cafés.

• And continue building our lives alongside one another.

Some people will be pleased with the result.

Others will be disappointed.

Some may be angry, worried or uncertain.

But a society is not judged only by the way its citizens vote.

It is also judged by the way they treat those who voted differently.

Manners are not a decoration reserved for calm times.

We need them most when emotions are running high.

• Not to erase disagreement.

• Not to make us all think alike.

• But to allow us to disagree, debate and choose differently — while still remaining a society.

We can disagree - We must not lose respect.

Because when the election is over —

we will still be here together.

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