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Audience Member It's an odd thing, election day. For the years between each presidential election, the media is ruthless in their attack of the opposition. Once that fateful November evening rolls around, however, the public's wildly divergent opinions take a backseat to a universal embrace of the democratic system. "Election Day", a cinéma vérité documentary by director Katy Chevigny, tells the story of the 2004 presidential election: not by examining the candidates, but rather by portraying the average American voter - no matter what class, race, or gender - as the stars. The project was one of great ambition. Chevigny assembled a dozen camera crews and sent them to different parts of the nation in an effort to film the various polling establishments during the 2004 presidential election. We get a thorough sampling of the populous in an effort to contrast how the voting process differs between members of each race and class. Many of the African American voters, for example, are subjected to two hour waits, meanwhile predominately white suburban areas get right in and out. One of the white women in the film argues that "voting is a privilege, not a right", whereas a noble black woman shouts to the poll-workers that it is, in fact, her right, and every American should have to wait an equal amount of time to cast their ballot. Although Chevigny is clever in not assigning a political agenda to her material, her subjects are mostly anti-Bush. One of the most memorable characters in the film, an extremist Republican with bumper stickers reading "the road to hell is paved with liberals", is among the few documented Bush supporters. Taking a viewpoint on the politics is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is another contributing factor to the film's undetermined identity. The film is an amalgam of topics - it argues for a reformed method of voting, meanwhile examining racial discrimination in America and the rights of ex-convicts, among other things. The filmmaker is pleasantly unobtrusive - only on one or two occasions do the characters speak directly to camera - but by assembling such a vague film, it's hard to discover what the director is trying to say. "Election Day" is charming company. It gives us a cross-country glimpse of our citizens - a few of it's subjects, like the ex-convict or the Native American activist, are people with voices hardly examined on film. While it's efforts are commendable, however, I would've liked to see the film pose a clearer argument. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member A surprisingly good documentary on voter experiences during the 2004 election that manages to avoid obvious politics per se in favor of the actual act of participating in an election from multiple perspectives. One of the more fascinating undercurrents of the documentary has to do with the repeated rhetoric of voting as a "privilege" rather than a "right," a philosophy espoused by those with obvious socio-economic advantages. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member I saw this film at the Hot Docs festival in Toronto. This film was very powerful in its documentation of the immense bureaucratic hassles and line-ups facing citizens living in poor communities. Also raised very important concerns about felon and ex-felon disenfranchisement. Slow in some places, this film is entirely worth the effort. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Nice little documentary detailing different people as they vote on Election Day 2004. You learn about the different decisions different cultures make. But once the film is over, it's hard to see the point of the preceeding action. There is no purpose (other than to just document) which is a little jarring. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Great film, unbiased, following ridings all over the US during the 2004 presidential election. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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