Elections

Czech Election Shows How Backward the USA Is

Cultural and political priorities yield different results.

Saturday was a wonderful day as we in the Czech Republic watched the polls close and the returns come in on the presidential election. Our adopted country chose a good person, a true leader, over a self-serving corrupt corporatist as their new head of state. That was fabulous, but the way the election unfolded reminds me of how backward the USA is in its politics and elections.

Item one: it was a Saturday. Yes, the Czech Republic has Saturday voting. Not just one day of voting either — two days, Friday and Saturday. The number of polling stations was also impressive. Most people had their place to vote within two kilometers of their home address. The Czech government actually wants people to vote and makes the effort to let them vote. It’s not like in the US where government seems to be more interested in preventing voting access. The difference shows when comparing the voter turnout numbers in both countries: 70.3% in the Czech Republic versus 62.8% in the US. Worth noting is that that 70.3% was for a vote where only the presidency was at stake, no lower offices.

Item Two: the vote was counted amazingly quickly and efficiently. All votes were counted, and results reported within…