Why Does Voting in America Seem Hard?
How I vote in my country
So the American election appears to be over. It seems that Americans have a difficult time voting. This should not be a difficult process, and it should not be one that leaves doubt in someone’s mind about the outcome of that election.
I want to tell you how easy it is for me to vote in Canada and why I have faith in my election system. Here is how easy it could be for Americans to vote and have confidence in that vote without any issue whatsoever.
The Campaign
Election campaigns in Canada are quite short. Whenever an election is called, there is usually only a few months before the election takes place. During this time, we put up our election signs. The candidates do their campaigning, and the election is discussed on television. We also have our debate, and the major candidates discuss the election.
At times, these discussions can be heated, but everyone is usually well behaved. The issues that impact Canadians are discussed during these elections. I recently had a provincial election. The debate for this was quite different compared to the debates that took place in the United States.
The candidates were all respectful of each other despite their differences. The moderator also allowed all of the candidates to speak their minds. There were never any protests or anything of the sort during these debates.
Before We Vote
Several weeks before we go and vote, we received a card in the mail from Elections Canada.
This card has our name and address on it. On this card is the address of the polling station that we have to go to the cast our vote. There are multiple locations throughout our towns and cities where we can vote so that lineups are minimal. You can also vote by mail and advance vote if you want.
Voting Day
Voting day is a painless process. I take my election card down to the polling station. Once I arrive, I present my identification to the person at the polling station. They make sure this matches the election card. I am then allowed to go to the voting booth. I make a few statements that indicate I am a Canadian citizen, and then I can vote.
Since this provincial vote took place during COVID-19, the polling booth had a plastic shield around it. Usually, I sit at the polling station and make my declarations, but this time, it was on the outside of the plastic screen. I made my statements behind the protective screen to protect the pollster and then received my voter slip. I took that to the privacy booth and cast my vote. The vote went in the box, and I left.
Election Night Results
At night, I watch the results. Sometimes my candidate gets in, other times they don’t. I shrug my shoulders and get in with my life. There is no rioting or people screaming at the sky about the results of the election. I don’t do this because I know my vote was counted. I know everyone else’s vote was counted and that the outcome of the election is what it is.
I might not even like the result, but I accept it because everyone had a chance to vote. I feel confident every time I go to the voting booth that my vote will be counted.
I have not once in my entire life felt that my vote was not counted.
Count the Votes
Perhaps America could make their voting process a lot easier for their citizens. Everyone needs a chance to vote in an election. Voting is a critical part of the democratic process. There cannot be any doubt in someone’s mind that their vote was not counted or that there’s some sort of shenanigans going on. I don’t even know if I would want to vote if I was in America because I don’t see a system that ensures every vote is going to be legitimate. Make it easy for everyone!
Conclusion
I am not telling anyone how to run their voting system. America is free to run its elections how they wish. I just find the system seems more complicated than it should be. In a country as large as America, with its vast wealth and influence around the world, it should be simple for everyone to vote. There should be no question in anyone’s mind with the results of that election.
Just something for you to think about.
