This is a big week for democracy in Asia, with two nations of almost half a billion people going to the polls in the space of a couple of days.
Vote counting is currently underway in Pakistan, where candidates from the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and the Pakistan People's Party vie for control of the government against hundreds of independent candidates affiliated with jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, whose party was barred from contesting the election under its old banner after he lost the backing of the military two years ago.
While official results aren't expected for another day or so, due to logistical issues and deadly militant attacks near several voting booths, no party is expected to have a clear majority in parliament, with pundits predicting low turnout as a result of growing voter apathy.
In fact, the election has left the population at its most "discouraged" in years, an observer noted ahead of Thursday's election. The lack of interest is understandable -- Pakistan has endured multiple government changes only to see the reins of power move between a select few, and still with little to show for that.
The PML is headed by Nawaz Sharif, a fixture of Pakistani politics since the 1970s, who has served as prime minister three times and was ousted from the post without completing his term each time. His rival, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of the Pakistan People's Party, is the son of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari, and the grandson of former president Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
On Wednesday, meanwhile, over 200 million people will go to the voting booths in Indonesia, where the presidential election is contested by three figures, each with their own baggage and issues.
Ex-special forces general turned defence minister in President Joko Widodo's second cabinet, Prabowo Subianto, is widely seen as the frontrunner in the election.
In an effort to revamp his image for his last shot at the top job, the controversial politician -- once known for his mercurial temper and involvement in political crackdowns under Gen Suharto, his ex-father-in-law -- is rebranding himself as a cuddly grandfather with a penchant for TikTok dances. To emphasise his ability to work with others, he chose the son of the current president as his running mate, despite his obvious lack of experience.
Going against him is former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, who is backed by younger, moderate Muslim voters, and a former Central Java governor, Ganjar Pranowo, whose coalition has the support of more conservative voters but lies in the shadow of Megawati Soekarnoputri, the ambitious daughter of Indonesia's first president Soekarno.
Similarly, many voters in Indonesia have expressed their dissatisfaction with the choice of candidates in the coming election. A non-profit organisation which monitors voter apathy in Indonesia noted the candidates are all parroting such similar lines, that their main selling point in the contest is that they are not their opponents.
Those who support Mr Prabowo do so not because of his pledges to prioritise the local economy -- other candidates also made similar promises -- but simply because they believe he isn't a "puppet" like Mr Ganjar or a sell-out like Mr Anies. Similarly, those who support Mr Ganjar or Mr Anies probably do so because unlike Mr Prabowo, they do not have a questionable track record when it comes to human rights.
While elections are a feature of a functioning democracy, the experience of these two nations shows that organising regular polls isn't enough for the system to survive. Candidates must understand the problems faced by their constituents and offer genuine solutions to solve the issues at hand -- because in the age of the internet and instant communication, voters are much more aware of the quality and pedigree of their potential representative.
Without a doubt, there are still voters who would blindly choose a candidate based solely on their party, but their numbers are fast decreasing. Unless candidates start differentiating themselves from each other on their merits, elections will soon be reduced to nothing more than a fancy cat contest -- the winner being the candidate with the highest pedigree among the lot.
The presence of multiple candidates may signal a vibrant democratic system, but too many options -- especially when most of the options lead to the same outcome -- can be a curse too, discouraging voters from exercising their right. Thailand still has a few more years to go before the next election, but the time has come for our politicians to start working on their game.
Once voters are turned off by the process due to the lacklustre options on offer, it will be harder to get the nation behind any action that requires a collective effort, putting the government's legitimacy at risk.