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People On Twitter Explain How American Voting Works And People From Other Countries Can’t Believe It
People On Twitter Explain How American Voting Works And People From Other Countries Can’t Believe It
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People On Twitter Explain How American Voting Works And People From Other Countries Can’t Believe It

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Voting is done differently around the world. There are different systems of voting whereby either the popular vote wins or voters decide on reps who decide on the winner and whatnot.

But then there’s also the process of voting—where do people go, how do they cast their vote, and, most importantly, how long will it take. Well, the last one, turns out, is in HUGE contrast when it comes to the US and the rest of the world.

Apparently, Americans spend countless hours queuing and waiting for their turn to enter the voting booth and to cast their vote, whereas the rest of the world spends around as much time voting as one would spend waiting for the barista to make and deliver their coffee at Starbucks.

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    The internet is left surprised with how long Americans have to wait in line just so that they could vote

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    So, since it’s voting season in the US, a lot of Americans are sharing their considerably extreme voting experiences on Twitter. And then there’s Europeans and everyone else sharing their complete opposite experiences.

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    Turns out, people in the US often stand in line for hours, and I do mean literally hours

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    A number of US citizens shared how they stood in line for two hours at the very least to a whopping eleven hours just so that they could vote. Talk about dedication to your country!

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    While some stand in line for about 2 hours, Johnta Austin had to do so for a whopping 11 hours!

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    Here’s what a typical voting line looks like as shown by one Twitter user

    And it doesn’t matter what weather it is either—people are committed

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    This prompted a response from people from other countries around the world: Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and others. It turned out, the amount of time citizens of these countries spent partaking in the voting process was around three minutes. At worst, it was fifteen minutes. See the stark contrast here?

    More specifically, in Sweden, it was three minutes because there was a senior in a wheelchair in the queue; in France, hardly no waiting time and no more than 10-people queues; in Canada, no more than two minutes; in Australia, where voting is mandatory, no more than three minutes. The list goes on and on.

    It wasn’t long until someone asked the question—how long does voting take outside of the US?

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    Many internauts from Europe, Australia, Canada, Mexico and other places  responded with the opposite of what US voters experience

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    So, why are Americans practically breaking records with their queuing to vote? The short answer seems to be the lack of resources (polling locations, voting station employees, etc.) to deal with the huge demand.

    The longer answer, though, is “it’s complicated.” Besides the fact that too many people show up and there aren’t enough polling stations and people managing them, there’s also the long voting process within the ballots, technical problems, lack of polling station staff training, underfunding of election administrations, and a number of other small problems that make up one huge issue.

    For the most part, the average voter outside the US spends around 2–3 minutes and no more than 20 voting

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    Though, interesting to think, but some say that the long lines aren’t all that bad. It is said to be a celebration by those who endure them—it is a sign of patriotic enthusiasm. Others do think it’s more a form of sadism rather than a celebration, but nobody’s judging if it works for people.

    What are your thoughts on this? Tell us your voting experience in your country in the comment section below!

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    Robertas Lisickis

    Robertas Lisickis

    Author, Community member

    Read more »

    Some time ago, Robertas used to spend his days watching how deep the imprint in his chair will become as he wrote for Bored Panda. Wrote about pretty much everything under and beyond the sun. Not anymore, though. He's now probably playing Gwent or hosting Dungeons and Dragons adventures for those with an inclination for chaos.

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    Robertas Lisickis

    Robertas Lisickis

    Author, Community member

    Some time ago, Robertas used to spend his days watching how deep the imprint in his chair will become as he wrote for Bored Panda. Wrote about pretty much everything under and beyond the sun. Not anymore, though. He's now probably playing Gwent or hosting Dungeons and Dragons adventures for those with an inclination for chaos.

    What do you think ?
    Caroline Driver
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Anyone would think that someone was trying to make it difficult to vote. And, as this is not a new thing, just a made much worse by Corona and Trump's bully boy tactics thing, it seems to be endemic in the system. So someone must be benefitting from it.

    Viviane
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's sad that my relatives live in a country where owning firearms is a right, voting is a privilege and health care is a luxury.

    Load More Replies...
    A
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The pictures of people lining up for hours to vote in the USA always shock me. I am hugely impressed with their determination, but appalled at what the have to endure. I'm a dual citizen and have voted in both Canada and in the UK and have never waited more than 5 minutes to vote.

    Julie C Rose
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, they’re between a rock (queuing for hours) and a hard place (another 4 years of this regime and possibly losing democracy, according to people who have survived autocracies). F**k voter suppression so incredibly hard.

    Load More Replies...
    Jaybird3939
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unfortunately, voter suppression is alive and doing very well in the US. Texas has limited drop boxes for ballots to 1 per county regardless of population. Some counties have over a million people. Georgia was so badly gerrymandered (re-arranging voting boundaries to favor one party) at one point, it wasn't considered a Democracy. Also, the Secretary of State was in charge of an election that he was participating in. The manipulation of voters is to discourage them from voting. This year it's backfired. That's why these long lines exist. People are determined to show their power and not let this obvious voter suppression fly. GO JOE!

    Mike Ward
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    1 ballot box for a million people? that is not democracy. I live in a small town, we had 4 ballot boxes for 1,200 people, and we didn't que at all. I walked in, got my voting paper, they gave me a pen (mine to keep) and I voted. I didn't even bring anything with me, it's all provided. No ques, no cops, no problems.

    Load More Replies...
    Henry Cheves
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    LET ME OUT OF THIS COUNTRY I HAD NO IDEA!

    N G
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So is this about number of and location of polling booths? In the UK they are everywhere (local primary schools seem to be a favourite location) and you can often have up to 4 people voting at a time. So you can get tens of thousands of votes done in lots of smaller locations. I've tried, and I can't make the maths work. Even allowing for the 6 foot social distancing rules.

    Nadine
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, in Spain the usual voting locations are also primary schools. Voters are assigned a school depending on where they live. The one my husband goes to usually has it set up so that two people can vote at the same time, and it's never taken him more than ten minutes. Lines usually get longer in the afternoon as people leave work, so the trick is to either vote first thing in the morning or at lunchtime when everyone's eating. In Spain there's about a two-hour gap (from 1 to 3) that you could consider "lunchtime".

    Load More Replies...
    Geoff
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm 50 yrs old and I live in Canada. I've voted in 10 federal elections and I can't tell you how many provincial and municipal elections in 3 different provinces. I don't think I've ever had to wait more than 30 minutes to cast a ballot. As far as I'm concerned, the tactics used by political parties in the US amount to willful voter suppression. In Canada, conspiring to prevent people from voting is a crime and I've seen party members face criminal charges when they try to mess with the voting process. I don't understand how American citizens can allow political parties to impede their RIGHT to vote. I'm sorry but that's not democracy. You don't live in a free country.

    Jane Hollestelle
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is primarily happening in states that support 45, and is a voter suppression tactic. In Biden-blue Colorado, I got my ballot in the mail, dropped it off with no wait in a collection box near my neighborhood, and got a text the other day letting me know it had been received and would be counted. This should be how it works everywhere. Go Joe! Take our country back!

    Martha Meyer
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But isn't that illogical? If red state does this, the people trying to vote Republican would also be standing in line for ages and might give up... Or do they only do this strategically in areas with a higher percentage of blue voters then?

    Load More Replies...
    Lord Mysticlaw
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In South Africa it's pretty normal to wait in line for 2-4 hours, in some areas much longer. The fact that in this regard USA resembles one of Trump's African 'shitholes' is kind of funny...

    Ray Martin
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    New Zealand here. We recently had an election, and when I voted I timed how long it took. From the moment I got out of my car, walked into the voting station, got my papers, cast my vote, and returned to my car it was four minutes and thirty seven seconds. It took longer to get an ice cream afterwards.

    Julie C Rose
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Mine took about 5 minutes and that’s only because I have generalised anxiety that manifests as what people casually call “OCD” and I checked and rechecked my ballot about half a dozen times. Also, the NZer who was in the main post is the person who made the #NZHellhole hashtag!

    Load More Replies...
    Nizumi
    Community Member
    5 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So much for the flagship of democracy, eh? EDIT: Let me amend that, 'cos it diminishes those who stand in line for hours and hours and hours to cast their vote. Those people are persevering for their right to vote. It's a shame they have to go through this is the so-called leading country of the free world, the flagship of democracy. Well, that flagship has sprung a LOT of leaks, and bless these people for bailing away and trying to keep it afloat.

    Dilly Millandry
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That flagship of democracy is 25th in the Democracy Index and officially classed as a Flawed Democracy not a full one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
    Caroline Driver
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Anyone would think that someone was trying to make it difficult to vote. And, as this is not a new thing, just a made much worse by Corona and Trump's bully boy tactics thing, it seems to be endemic in the system. So someone must be benefitting from it.

    Viviane
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's sad that my relatives live in a country where owning firearms is a right, voting is a privilege and health care is a luxury.

    Load More Replies...
    A
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The pictures of people lining up for hours to vote in the USA always shock me. I am hugely impressed with their determination, but appalled at what the have to endure. I'm a dual citizen and have voted in both Canada and in the UK and have never waited more than 5 minutes to vote.

    Julie C Rose
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, they’re between a rock (queuing for hours) and a hard place (another 4 years of this regime and possibly losing democracy, according to people who have survived autocracies). F**k voter suppression so incredibly hard.

    Load More Replies...
    Jaybird3939
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unfortunately, voter suppression is alive and doing very well in the US. Texas has limited drop boxes for ballots to 1 per county regardless of population. Some counties have over a million people. Georgia was so badly gerrymandered (re-arranging voting boundaries to favor one party) at one point, it wasn't considered a Democracy. Also, the Secretary of State was in charge of an election that he was participating in. The manipulation of voters is to discourage them from voting. This year it's backfired. That's why these long lines exist. People are determined to show their power and not let this obvious voter suppression fly. GO JOE!

    Mike Ward
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    1 ballot box for a million people? that is not democracy. I live in a small town, we had 4 ballot boxes for 1,200 people, and we didn't que at all. I walked in, got my voting paper, they gave me a pen (mine to keep) and I voted. I didn't even bring anything with me, it's all provided. No ques, no cops, no problems.

    Load More Replies...
    Henry Cheves
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    LET ME OUT OF THIS COUNTRY I HAD NO IDEA!

    N G
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So is this about number of and location of polling booths? In the UK they are everywhere (local primary schools seem to be a favourite location) and you can often have up to 4 people voting at a time. So you can get tens of thousands of votes done in lots of smaller locations. I've tried, and I can't make the maths work. Even allowing for the 6 foot social distancing rules.

    Nadine
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, in Spain the usual voting locations are also primary schools. Voters are assigned a school depending on where they live. The one my husband goes to usually has it set up so that two people can vote at the same time, and it's never taken him more than ten minutes. Lines usually get longer in the afternoon as people leave work, so the trick is to either vote first thing in the morning or at lunchtime when everyone's eating. In Spain there's about a two-hour gap (from 1 to 3) that you could consider "lunchtime".

    Load More Replies...
    Geoff
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm 50 yrs old and I live in Canada. I've voted in 10 federal elections and I can't tell you how many provincial and municipal elections in 3 different provinces. I don't think I've ever had to wait more than 30 minutes to cast a ballot. As far as I'm concerned, the tactics used by political parties in the US amount to willful voter suppression. In Canada, conspiring to prevent people from voting is a crime and I've seen party members face criminal charges when they try to mess with the voting process. I don't understand how American citizens can allow political parties to impede their RIGHT to vote. I'm sorry but that's not democracy. You don't live in a free country.

    Jane Hollestelle
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is primarily happening in states that support 45, and is a voter suppression tactic. In Biden-blue Colorado, I got my ballot in the mail, dropped it off with no wait in a collection box near my neighborhood, and got a text the other day letting me know it had been received and would be counted. This should be how it works everywhere. Go Joe! Take our country back!

    Martha Meyer
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But isn't that illogical? If red state does this, the people trying to vote Republican would also be standing in line for ages and might give up... Or do they only do this strategically in areas with a higher percentage of blue voters then?

    Load More Replies...
    Lord Mysticlaw
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In South Africa it's pretty normal to wait in line for 2-4 hours, in some areas much longer. The fact that in this regard USA resembles one of Trump's African 'shitholes' is kind of funny...

    Ray Martin
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    New Zealand here. We recently had an election, and when I voted I timed how long it took. From the moment I got out of my car, walked into the voting station, got my papers, cast my vote, and returned to my car it was four minutes and thirty seven seconds. It took longer to get an ice cream afterwards.

    Julie C Rose
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Mine took about 5 minutes and that’s only because I have generalised anxiety that manifests as what people casually call “OCD” and I checked and rechecked my ballot about half a dozen times. Also, the NZer who was in the main post is the person who made the #NZHellhole hashtag!

    Load More Replies...
    Nizumi
    Community Member
    5 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So much for the flagship of democracy, eh? EDIT: Let me amend that, 'cos it diminishes those who stand in line for hours and hours and hours to cast their vote. Those people are persevering for their right to vote. It's a shame they have to go through this is the so-called leading country of the free world, the flagship of democracy. Well, that flagship has sprung a LOT of leaks, and bless these people for bailing away and trying to keep it afloat.

    Dilly Millandry
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That flagship of democracy is 25th in the Democracy Index and officially classed as a Flawed Democracy not a full one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
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