The U.S. voting process vs Malaysia voting process

I was quite lucky to have a chance to observe the election process in the U.S. 2010 is the year where the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the State election were held. I observed that the U.S. voting process is quite similar to Malaysia's because we are both democratic countries.

I will first explain the process in the U.S. In the U.S., voters will firstly need to register as a voter before they can cast their vote. Next they will be brought to their respective ward- the region they belong to- to be given the right ballot. After that they will go to a covered place to put down their vote in the designated ballot. Then they will insert their ballot into a machine and the machine will count their vote automatically. When the ballot is inserted, the voting process is done. The use of the machine is quite efficient and it serves to prevent frauds too. Besides that, the U.S. has a special machine at the polls where you can cast your vote online without the ballot. However, I can see that the majority of people still prefer to use the ballot method. Moreover, there were also a few election observers in the voting place to make sure the election goes smooth. They were the representatives from their respective parties, which were the Republican and the Democrat. They were trying to ensure the opposite party does not endeavor to influence the voter's decision. Furthermore, there is a special vote called "absentee vote", which is specially made for citizens who are not able to vote at their designated ward on that Election Day. With this system in place, they can vote prior to the election. The U.S. really has an excellent voting system to ensure every citizen can participate to form the government.

On the other hand, I cannot articulate the Malaysia's voting process because I haven't voted before. Nevertheless, I can tell that it is rather similar to the U.S. process based on what I heard from people and what I saw in the pictures. We need to register as a voter, then we will be given a ballot at our designated polls to cast our vote. Prior to the election, there are many campaigns going on to promote the politicians and the agenda they are going to bring up. We have a body named "Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya" to organize the election and ensure that the election is fair and transparent. The difference between the Malaysia's and the U.S.'s is the legal age to vote in Malaysia is 21; while it is 18 in the U.S. I just turn 21 this year. The next election will be in 2013 if I am not mistaken. Ask me after 2013 and I should be capable to utter it in more clarity.

In term of parliament structure, we have "Dewan Rakyat" (commonly referred to as the House of Representatives), "Dewan Negara" (commonly referred to as the Senate), and "Yang di-Pertuan Agong" serve as the Head of State. This ultimate legislative body is responsible for passing, amending and repealing acts of law. The difference with the U.S. is our "Yang di-Pertuan Agong" is not the chief executive of the nation, but the Prime Minister, who is elected by the citizens. "Yang di-Pertuan Agong" is the King from the noble royalty. However, he does not have much executive power. In the U.S., the President is the chief of the executive branch.

Lastly, I want to share with you one of my favorite quotes:
A leader thinks of the nation's future; a politician thinks of the next election.
Be a great leader of your beloved country!