Today I’m switching roles from author to critic, as I rate an old masterwork known as voting. With so many new alternatives these days, many people ask, “Is voting still relevant?” After all, compared with more modern forms of expression, such as “retweeting a biting political meme,” it might appear that voting has lost its luster. Yet I would argue it’s still a relevant and intrinsically satisfying work. (Sorry, that was a bit of a spoiler.)
As a point of clarification, I am reviewing voting, classic edition. Certain more modern works appearing on social media, such as the “Which barnyard animal does [opposition politician] most resemble” poll, may at first appear similar to voting, yet belong in a different category of literature.
Starting with initial impressions, as one would rate any media product these days, we must note that voting has not done itself any favors. A drab paper envelope, no multimedia enhancements, even the typeface is strictly business.
Inside we find similar issues with the various components of voting, such as a ballot with no embedded hyperlinks for additional information. In fact, the entire interface appears at least twenty years out of date.
On the plus side, the entire package is delightfully free not only of pop-up advertisements, but also, “Customers who liked voting also purchased” and “Sponsored products related to voting.” To me, this is a solid plus point for voting.
Yet it is when one delves into the details that voting reveals its true strength. One can consume the product on a surface-level fashion, filling things out according to party lines. However, with a deeper dive, researching the issues and candidates, voting takes on a far more satisfying and fulfilling meaning. And herein lies the true strength of voting: the interactive experience of looking into issues and candidates is enlightening and intrinsically satisfying.
Finally, the curious reader might ask how this work ended? Was it satisfying? Were all narrative threads tied up? Were there cliffhangers? To this, I must reluctantly state that the outcome has not yet been determined. Yet like so many of the best new products, such as kickstarter campaigns or subscriber drives, the results improve with audience participation. So for me, this is actually a point in the plus category.
To sum up, I believe that despite its long history, voting is still highly relevant in today’s society, and I endorse it with a 5/5 star rating.
it is infinitely more satisfying if after the dust settles, the results tally with how I voted!