Elections lie at the heart of representative democracies, underpinned by the core idea that citizens elect citizens to represent their values and interests.

Undoubtedly, our political parties put their heads together and brainstormed in order to come up with a doable electoral manifesto. However, today I am making known my wish list for them to consider so that, at the end of the day, I might be in the best position to cast my vote. There is a need to develop a comprehensive understanding of how the rules of the electoral game influence the dynamic and reciprocal relationship between citizens and parties.

What drives political participation? Why do some citizens engage politically, and why don't others? What factors impact people's political engagement?

Undoubtedly, the political parties are competing and trying to outdo each other by coming up with better visions and policies related to such vital and critical issues as road and general infrastructure, health facilities, educational systems, the environment and construction sector, a sustainable economic model, the clandestine immigrant problem, climate change and better standards of quality of life.

But it will take more than that for me to be convinced of where my vote should go.

Politics has long pervaded every facet of human life, dictating interactions and experiences on local, national, and international levels. In today's fast-paced and interconnected world, understanding how to govern effectively with beneficial policies that uphold and promote democracy is more challenging than ever, especially with unceasing and unprecedented technological advances.

My wish for the qualities of politics in the coming years could depend on the specific context and needs of our society. I believe that certain qualities are basic and should be entertained by all parties.

Transparency: Politics in the coming years should be open and transparent, with clear processes and decision-making mechanisms that are easily accessible to citizens.

Inclusivity: Politics should be inclusive and representative of all members of society, regardless of their background or identity.

Responsiveness: Politics should be responsive to the needs and concerns of citizens and be able to adapt and change in response to new challenges and opportunities.

Sustainability: Politics should prioritise long-term sustainability in terms of environmental, economic and social issues.

Collaboration: Politics should foster collaboration and cooperation between different sectors and stakeholders, both within the government and in civil society.

Empowerment: Politics should empower citizens to be active and engaged participants in the political process.

Technological Advancement: Politics should be able to keep up with technological advancement and use it to improve governance and decision-making.

Evidence-based: Politics should be based on facts and evidence rather than ideology or personal beliefs.

Such qualities are not mutually exclusive and must be seen as a framework rather than a specific blueprint.

We are used to it now. In every election, some political figure will either say that their party will start to gain popularity when the public sees its manifesto or that people should vote based on "policies, not personalities". But however popular a policy, it won't bring victory to a party destined to defeat or sink a party cruising to victory.

In successful election campaigns, policy only comes into play once a party and leader have passed three key hygiene tests: connecting on core values; positioning on the big issues of the day; and leadership.

This is not to say that policies don't matter or that they don't affect voters; they do. However, winning election campaigns join up core values, big issues, and leadership, using policies as an illustration of these forces rather than a replacement for serious weakness in these areas.

In terms of core values, many voters, either consciously or subconsciously, will refuse to even give a party a fair hearing on the big issues of the day or take their leader seriously as a possible prime minister if they don't pass the basic smell test. This comes in the form of whether they believe the leader or party meets their standards when it comes to core values like strength, decisiveness, and how in touch they are with voters.

While the specific "most important issue" changes from election to election, my latest issues tracker shows that this time around the economic model, energy issues, cost-of-living increases, pension and pensionable age, education and the green transition will be at the forefront of voters' minds. The electorate needs to know where a party stands on an issue and whether they can trust it. Corruption and good governance are arguably super issues at this election that wrap up many other things, like the economy, security and immigration, into one.

In any national election, the target audience should be the general public rather than party activists. When parties look to manifesto launches to reverse their poll fortunes, it is likely that it is already too late and no policy can save them.

Our political parties keep on labelling themselves as the 'party for everyone', but who actually believes that?

These last few years, I have been disillusioned with politics, but my support is still up for grabs. In the coming days, politicians will be battling to win over my heart and mind, and they're probably after yours too.

I'll be waiting for mine to be won over.

Dr Mark Said is a lawyer