I’m Canadian. I’ve voted in every election since I turned 18. I’ve always lived in major cities and I’ve never had to wait more than 90 seconds to vote. Once, there were three people ahead of me in line, but that’s my record. The polling stations have never been more than half a mile from my house. I used to walk, but now that I’m older and lazier, I usually drive.
Voter registration is usually automatic. You are sent a card in the mail. Even if you forget your card, you can still vote. When I was a student, I wasn’t registered since I didn’t live in the same place year-round. I simply had to bring in my phone bill on the day of the election and I was allowed to vote. My roommate didn’t have a bill in his name, so we had to swear an oath that he lived at my house and he was allowed to vote.
By contrast, it sounds like the US system is an abomination. The registration process seems very complex and I hear stories of people waiting 2, 5 or even 8 hours to vote. Also, because of the electoral college system, if you don’t live in a swing state, your votes are far less important.
And yet, if you compare Canada’s last federal election to the 2008 US election, the US had a higher turnout rate (by 0.7%) than we did in Canada. Even with all of your voter intimidation, registration headaches and voter ID requirements, you still beat us.
So, to all Americans: I salute your perseverance.
To the single mother who needs to get a babysitter in order to vote, I salute you!
To the voter who needs to spend an hour on the bus to get to the polling station, I salute you!
To the urban voter who waits 5 hours in line in the rain, I salute you!
To the worker with two jobs who needs to switch shifts in order to vote, I salute you!
To the new Americans who still haven’t fully mastered English, who need to get through all of the voter registration red tape and voter intimidation, I salute you!
Your system is terrible. Your people are resilient.