Voting and watching them vote

Think of elections in the world’s largest democracy—a tapestry of noise, frequent chaos, interminable lines, missing voters, and the like. The last time I voted, I returned home twice, expecting that the serpentine queues would unwind in some time. I finally waited two hours to cast my vote.

My friend had a run-in with a voter behind her in the line who kept coming too close. She lamented the absence of the concept of personal space. It’s not uncommon to hear of booth capturing and fear-mongering at the polling stations. 

Now think of the elections in the world’s second-largest democracy, the United States. I had the rare opportunity of observing not one but two elections in two different cities at two different times, 16 years apart.

The first time there was a festive mood and great bonhomie among all voters, and the evening saw most people walking outside to commemorate and savour a historic day.

The second time was a more tense and stressful one, with strong emotions ruling hearts and minds. Nevertheless, it was a peaceful day and a disciplined electorate.

There is a polling station every few blocks, and the staff are volunteers who are trained for the work. The station that I visited was a medium-sized one in a school.

When we approached along with a couple of voters and asked whether we could come in though we were only visitors, we were cordially ushered in. We keenly watched the process.

The voter walking in was first asked their address and then directed to the table meant for them. After filling out a form and checking their IDs, they were asked to proceed to the next available small voting cubicle. The paper ballot had to be perused for the candidates’ names and posts, and the choices ticked.

Then the paper ballot was scanned into the machine, and the voter received an acceptance message and an ‘I voted’ slip. The other voters in the queue were patient and sensitive to others’ personal space. The early voting option and the postal ballot facility help voters avoid the rush or vote according to their convenience.

The election aftermath is also smooth, with the losing side accepting the results. The entire process is peaceful and encourages voters to turn out in large numbers. The number may vary from one election to another, but not due to voter hardship. 

I am reminded of this thought from Larry J Sabato, American political scientist and analyst, that the people of the US seem to have understood well: “Every election is determined by the people who show up.”