78. Voting: Two Parties but Only One Box...

The Coliseum: a reminder that the Italians
are indeed descendents of those who once
Conquered the world!!!

Tell that to your grandmother and see what you get.

It’s not that we are all stupid over here in Italy, but you have to be an Einstein clone to be sure that you have voted for whom you really want to vote with the way they have arranged the symbols on the voting card this time round.

The Home Office Officials responsible for this cock-up says the voting cards are legal because they have followed the rules as laid down for the previous elections- Typical of Left Wing thinking- never mind if in the mean time things have changed drastically and instead of thirty parties divided in two coalitions there are now 15 parties (more or less) and this time only the major two parties, Left and Right have made a coalition with one other party. All clear? As mud. Now, this is where the Chinese will all stand up and shout hip-hip hooray for the One Party System!!!

In effect, the Home Office stuck a round peg in a square hole and they have put the Major Party next to the Minor party that they have formed a coalition with in the same box. A normal person going to vote will put a cross in the one box where they see the major party with the minor coalition party, I would imagine- at least that was what I was thinking of doing. But no, you can only put the cross upon either the major party or the minor one within that box. If my ballot pencil slips and touches the party next to the one I crossed, (in that same box) my vote will be annulled.

It could be possible to get rid of these cards and print new ones even just five days before the elections- but the Italian armed forces and other nationals temporarily abroad have already voted... Make them vote again I would say- or in these five days put out a marathon campaign in teaching people that they must not put a cross on the box (as they have always done in the past) but only put a cross on the one party inside that box.

Like I said, tell that to your grandmother and see what you get!
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