Voting for president via a German post office is a somewhat strange feeling, but I suppose I should get used to it.So, I have now done my small part in ensuring Maryland's 10 juicy electoral votes go to Barack Obama and also given Deutsche Post a rather extortionate sum for their part in this little democratic transaction (the size of the ballot envelope apparently knocked it up a few price brackets...don't local election officials in Baltimore think about these things!).
Freedom, truly, is not free.
Nevertheless, although having finally gotten a chance to cast my vote is a good feeling, something's...missing.
I actually used to love election days at home: everything from voting in the morning at the school or library that was my designated polling station in crisp autumn weather (or, sometimes rain) to watching the coverage that evening (preferably in some local watering hole with some like-minded fellow voters).
Somehow, filling in the little ovals with my no. 2 pencil and signing the oath before mailing it off was not quite the same...especially with three weeks still to wait until the result.
Three long weeks....
2 comments:
I prefer the procedure in NRW - here, we elect our government in a designated pub and have a nice beer afterwards. It isn't called "Wahllokal" for nothing, eh?
Nele
We truly have much to learn from north-German democracy....
The plight of those who send in absentee ballots, however, remains: they must drink in solitude.
Spare a thought, if you will, for the loneliness of the long-distance voter.
Post a Comment