"It's not the voting that's democracy; it's the counting"

This quote by Tom Stoppard is a suggestion that democracy is more than just the act of ballot. It is the process of counting the votes that truly makes democracy possible. Without the counting of votes, the act of voting would be worthless. The counting of votes is what permits the will of the people to be heard and appreciated. It is the counting of votes that allows for the election of representatives who will then make choices on behalf of individuals. Without the counting of votes, democracy would not exist. This quote serves as a pointer that democracy is more than just the act of ballot, it is the counting of votes that really makes democracy possible.