Voters grapple with loaded ballot

PHOTO | ROBYN BECK A poll work (R) explains the ballot to a voter, November 6, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois in the US presidential election.

What you need to know:

  • In the first ever election under a new Constitution, Kenyans will be voting for President, governors, senator, MPs, County Assembly representatives, women and youth representatives
  • This makes the March 4 ballot the largest in Kenya’s history. But it pales in size when compared with the US ballot paper
  • During a national election such as Tuesday’s, Americans choose a long list of leaders that also includes county judges, police chiefs, prosecutors, and other officials such as the coroner, treasurer, engineer and county recorder
  • One interesting thing is that though President Obama and his Republican rival Mitt Romney have grabbed all the attention in the campaigns, there are five other candidates gunning for the US presidency

CINCINNATI, Ohio

If you thought the ballot paper to be used in Kenya’s next General Election is loaded, wait till you see the one used in American polls.

In the first ever election under a new Constitution, Kenyans will be voting for President, governors, senator, MPs, County Assembly representatives, women and youth representatives.

This makes the March 4 ballot the largest in Kenya’s history. But it pales in size when compared with the US ballot paper.

During a national election such as Tuesday’s, Americans choose a long list of leaders that also includes county judges, police chiefs, prosecutors, and other officials such as the coroner, treasurer, engineer and county recorder.

For instance, in Hamilton County, which covers Cincinnati City, the ballot paper comes in the form of a two-page document with the voter required to fill and vote on numerous issues.

A sample of the ballot viewed by the Nation shows that in this year’s election, the residents are voting for 23 such officials and a host of other issues.

Key among them labelled State Issue 1, seeks the residents’ ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ vote on whether there should be a convention to revise, alter, or amend the Ohio constitution.

There are four other different issues the voters are expected to pass a verdict on. These include matters touching on taxation, which is very contentious in the US.

Because of the uniqueness of the constitutions of the different states, the ballots differ depending on the issues that voters are required to decide on.

One interesting thing is that though President Obama and his Republican rival Mitt Romney have grabbed all the attention in the campaigns, there are five other candidates gunning for the US presidency.

Civic education

They are Jill Stein of the Green Party, Stewart Alexander (Socialist), Richard Duncan (Nonparty Candidates), Virgil Goode (Constitution) and Gary Johnson (Libertarian).

Political parties, therefore, hold aggressive civic education campaigns to ensure their supporters get it right when they go to the polls.

So concerned are party hawks on this that they engage volunteers to reach out to supporters with messages of who and what issues to vote for.

It is these grassroots officials and volunteers who largely take credit for the success of their party candidates during elections such as the one the US voters are grappling with now.