When you go to the ballot box (the place where you vote) in the United States, you may feel you’re simply choosing someone to represent you. That is true; but how we vote, who counts the votes, and how winners are chosen vary a lot around the world. Understanding other countries’ systems helps us see what is special, or even unusual, about the U.S. system; and helps us ask whether it could work better.

In the U.S., citizens who are at least 18 years old generally can vote for federal offices like the president, senators, and representatives. But the rules differ a lot state to state. Some states require you to register (signing up so you can vote) ahead of time; others allow same-day registration. Some states allow mail-in ballots or early voting; others have more limited options. Because each of the 50 states runs its own elections under state law, the result is a patchwork system (many different rules in many places).

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The Shatterpoint is my FREE substack about US Civics, written in simple to understand language for adults who struggle with reading and comprehension.