Doing my Civic Duty
In addition to knitting on the Internet this morning and finishing the Kitty Kat Cardy, I had one other important task for the day: VOTE! Today was the NSW State Election and, as voting is compulsory in Australia, I got to vote here for the very first time. The Snook and I headed over to our local polling place this afternoon, which just so happened to be at the Notre Dame Sydney campus. I was amused by how totally casual the whole process was. I showed a lady at a card table my driver’s license, and she ticked me off a big list of names. Then she handed me two paper ballots (one of which was truly massive) and directed me to a simple cardboard booth. No, really! No Diebold machines, no curtains, no hanging chads. Just a pencil and a couple pieces of paper. (I have to say, the ballots were really well designed, too. I had no trouble understanding exactly where I had to mark.) Then I just had to fold my ballots and put them in some cardboard bins. (No lock box or anything!) And that was it! We were in and out in less than ten minutes.

I have to say though, I totally cracked up at some of the parties listed on the big ballot. I mean, the first one was “The Fishing Party.” (My Dad would be all over that one.) I also remember “Australians Against Further Immigration” (like I’d ever vote for them), “The Shooters Party” (again, one for Dad), and the cryptic “Save Our Suburbs.” I’m just disappointed I didn’t see the “Standing-At-The-Back-Dressed-Stupidly-And-Looking-Stupid Party.”