Voting in Thailand vs Voting in America

On November 2nd, I had an opportunity to observe an election at Senior Center. It is such an valuable experience for me because not many people can do this, especially if you are an international student. The chief election inspector was very helpful. She explained clearly about an election. After listening to her, I found out that there are three major differences between voting in Thailand and voting in America.

The first one is identification card. In Thailand, we can use only a Thai national ID card or a driver licence to present to the officer, but American people can use many different kinds of documents such as a bank statement or a bill. I think it is good because it extends voters' chance to vote if they do not have the actual ID cards with them.

The next difference is an operating hour. Election day in Thailand is usually on Sunday and runs from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. In contrast, election day in America is usually on Tuesday and runs from 7 am to 8 pm. In my opinion, American government is more concerned about voters. Holding an election on a weekday with an extended hour help voters who have to work all day to have a chance to vote.

The last difference is a voting procedure. In Thailand, after registered, voters will receive a ballot and then bring it to the private election booth to put a cross mark on the a candidate's number. Then the voters have to put the folded ballot in a box by themselves. They do not have chance to re-correct the ballot again after putting it into the box. If there are any problem occur with the ballots, they will be considered as voided ballots. On the other hand, American voters have two ways to vote; by using a paper ballot or using Edge - an electronic voting system. If they choose to vote by using a paper ballot, after voting, they will put their ballots into the machine without folding but facing down. Moreover, they can write the name of the candidate whom they like on their ballots. If any problems occur with their ballots, they will have another chance to vote again.

To sum up, I have gained a great experience from observing an election and it has made me think of the better way to improve an election in Thailand to be more effective.