The Atlantic

When the Soviets Voted

Americans could learn something from the care that people of the U.S.S.R. took with a privilege they would hold only briefly.
Source: Wojtek Laski / Getty

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Americans sometimes forget how blessed they are. I hope they remember today, regardless of their vote, that their Constitution is a miracle. I learned a lesson about this in, of all places, the former Soviet Union.

But first, here are three new stories from The Atlantic.


Sacred Ballots

Today we’re supposed to exhort our fellow citizens to vote, invoking the traditional words of the Founders and all the usual clichés (some of which have more truth in them today than in the past): “Vote as if your life depends on it,” “This is the most important election of our time,” and so on.

I’m not going to do any of that. Instead, I’m going to tell you a

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