Interesting Psak: Elections halachos

Kikar is reporting about a series of halachic questions asked of Rav Chaim Kanievsky regarding the upcoming elections, with his responses:

Q: Rav Elyashiv said that going to vote is a mitzva from the torah of doing what your rav tells you, טעשית ככל אשר יורוך, so why is there no bracha when goign to vote?
A: we dont make a bracha for bad things

Q: but the mitzva is listenign to the rabbonim, and the bracha should be on that, not specifically the voting...
A: the chachomim never made such a takana of a rbacha

Q: when going to vote and fulfill the mitzva of listening to the rabbonim, should one take his children along for the purpose of chinuch?
A: yes

Q: should one drive to vote or does one get more schar by walking or is it the same thing?
A: If there is no bittul torah

Q: can one eat before going to vote or is it like other mitzvas that one cannot eat before performing the mitzva?
A: No

Q: when going to, or returning from the, vote would one be exempt from performing a different mitzva?
A: yes

Q: if one has a car and volunteered to drive people to vote, elderly people, and realizes he did not daven mincha, and it is almost sunset - should he stop and go daven or is he exempt from mincha because he is performing the mitzva?
A: he should daven mincha while sitting and driving

Q: if one has his voting station close to the house and the shul he davens in is further away, and he wakes up int he morning and goes to shul he would pass the voting station, meaning by going to shul he would pass the mitzva of listening to the rabbonim. What should he do first?
A: vote

Q: if one has to circumcise his son on election day, which mitzva comes first - voting or mila?
A: voting

Q: should one prefer to spend his own money on any expenses to be incurred in going to vote, like other mitzvas?
A: it is a mitzva

Q: when voting should one focus his concentration on fulfilling the mitzva of listening to the rabbonim?
A: yes

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