With election season underway in America, it is important to observe that other countries around the world have their own unique methods of voting and government.

The state and local elections were held on Nov. 3, and the legalization of marijuana, restriction of Airbnb-style rentals and the protection transgender people from discrimination were just a few important issues discussed. Each year, issues like these are voted on in a public setting, such as the method of American government. However, not every country governs their citizens in the same manner, and there is certainly advantages and disadvantages of all systems.

In the United Kingdom, general election voting is not unlike our own. A voter must be 18 or over on voting day and a U.K., Commonwealth or Irish Republic citizen. They can also not be in prison. Elections for European Parliament take place every five years and there are 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Of those representatives, 73 represent the U.K.. The U.K. is divided into 12 regions, and each region has between 3 and 10 MEPs.

Since the end of the Soviet Union, Russia now has a free election like the United States and several other democratic nations. The main difference between the Presidential elections in the U.S. and Russia is the Electoral College. In Russia, the Presidential election is a direct vote by the people, while Americans elect their presidents through the Electoral College.

Before 1996, Russian elites were the only ones who could vote, but now the election is based solely on the popular vote by the Russian citizens. If no candidate has a majority vote (over 50 percent), a runoff election is held. This runoff is held between the two top candidates that have received the greatest amount of votes. Unlike the United States, Russia doesn’t elect a Vice President. Instead, it has what is called a Chairman of Government (the Prime Minister or Premier) that acts as a Vice President. Presidential elections in Russia do not consist of a running mate as in the U.S.. There are also four branches of power in Russia including Legislative, Judiciary, Executive, and the Central Bank.

Some elections are not of the option for the people’s choice, such as in the unusual process of North Korean elections. Specifically, the voters do not have much of a choice for candidates. They are only given the option of a single candidate in their own district, chosen by the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland. This is the governing alliance, which is controlled by the Workers’ Party.

Furthermore, abstaining or voting “no” would be a prohibited and dangerous act of treason, as the actual voting takes place in booths that do not provide any secrecy. These negative votes must also be placed into a different and completely separate ballot box. In this way the population (people over 17) endorses all elected candidates fully whether they want to or not. Normally, the supreme leader Kim Jong Un is the one in charge, along with the Presidium, a smaller group of senior officials.

As addressed, no country has exactly the same system of laws, and no method is completely correct. Although it may seem unusual to an outsider, these laws are what citizens of these countries live by. Many have lived in their country for their entire life, meaning they are used to these statutes. No matter what form of a government or election process they carry out, all countries want to function smoothly and make life while living within their borders prosperous.