My wife and I walked the one-and-a-half km to our early polling station. At the steps I took a leaflet from both major candidates - though I introduced myself to the incumbent - while taking her proffered how-to-vote paper - a woman whom I really respect. I stood by my wife who was first in line - we had our names checked off - then completed our voting - my wife as fast as any - me taking my time. In past years we have both worked as you this past week-end - local, state and federal level elections. Occasional angry souls - though more interesting were the ballots declared informal with all manner of illustrations on the papers - cause for amusement more than any other reaction - during the evening's count. During all my years in Japan I had no chance to vote (and nor was I entitled to vote in Japan) I truly was a citizen of the world without a vote! In 2019 we were in Croatia - in Zagreb - where we cast our votes - then wandered around the beautiful cemetery in the upper town afterwards. I'm not, by the way, making any particular point with that particular juxtaposition. I did a summer intensive Spanish course through January 1979 at the (then) Canberra CAE - led by John and wife Irma Harris - and among my fellow students were several who went off to diplomatic/trade positions in Chile and in Argentina... I was a year or so returned from a half-year in Spain and teaching adult immigrants/others from various Spanish-speaking backgrounds - wanting to be able to connect with them - on a level of some familiarity with their language as they came to grips with this new land. Lots of cultural and other southern hemisphere similarities thereby uncovered - of course! Jim
At a recent election I was queued up being a 70 something lady who responded to the question, "have you voted anywhere else today?" a very confident YES. The staff members head shot up so quickly I was concerned about whiplash, the lady had a beaming smile and informed him " Only joking, I have always wanted to do that and may not have many opportunities left so thought I would say Yes today to see the reaction" All taken in good spirit and she proceeded to cast her hopefully only vote for the day.
My wife and I walked the one-and-a-half km to our early polling station. At the steps I took a leaflet from both major candidates - though I introduced myself to the incumbent - while taking her proffered how-to-vote paper - a woman whom I really respect. I stood by my wife who was first in line - we had our names checked off - then completed our voting - my wife as fast as any - me taking my time. In past years we have both worked as you this past week-end - local, state and federal level elections. Occasional angry souls - though more interesting were the ballots declared informal with all manner of illustrations on the papers - cause for amusement more than any other reaction - during the evening's count. During all my years in Japan I had no chance to vote (and nor was I entitled to vote in Japan) I truly was a citizen of the world without a vote! In 2019 we were in Croatia - in Zagreb - where we cast our votes - then wandered around the beautiful cemetery in the upper town afterwards. I'm not, by the way, making any particular point with that particular juxtaposition. I did a summer intensive Spanish course through January 1979 at the (then) Canberra CAE - led by John and wife Irma Harris - and among my fellow students were several who went off to diplomatic/trade positions in Chile and in Argentina... I was a year or so returned from a half-year in Spain and teaching adult immigrants/others from various Spanish-speaking backgrounds - wanting to be able to connect with them - on a level of some familiarity with their language as they came to grips with this new land. Lots of cultural and other southern hemisphere similarities thereby uncovered - of course! Jim
At a recent election I was queued up being a 70 something lady who responded to the question, "have you voted anywhere else today?" a very confident YES. The staff members head shot up so quickly I was concerned about whiplash, the lady had a beaming smile and informed him " Only joking, I have always wanted to do that and may not have many opportunities left so thought I would say Yes today to see the reaction" All taken in good spirit and she proceeded to cast her hopefully only vote for the day.
That’ll show them 😂😂💯