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.
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.
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!
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
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!