For the the first time, OH and I took part in the French local elections - we thought it about time after 12 years!
Arriving a little nervously, we made the first faux pas - sailing into the village hall, bonjouring everyone in sight, which is normally very polite but not at such a serious event - and certainly not as loudly, passing the ballot papers set on a little table in the entrance.
We went straight to the stern woman with the big transparent box - second mistake...we should have voted first. This means picking up a ballot paper, going to the little booth behind the curtains, reading the list of representatives on the ballot paper, crossing out the one/ones you don't like leaving only 11, although you can cross out more if you like, and putting the papers into a little blue envelope. Not a cross or tick at all.
Mistake number three - didn't bring a pen.
Fortunately, one of the officals lent us a pen and guided us through the process; we showed our voting/electoral card to prove we had the right to vote, and placed our blue envelope in the big transparent box in front of the stern woman.
Then, we showed our passports as ID to the third offical, gave him back his pen, and signed the list, getting the pen back again.
I wondered what would have happened if we had no ID - it would have been too late! We had voted - would they have opened up the box to find our envelopes and destroy them?
And, this is only round one...
On the plus side, we both feel a little more French, and we'll now get an offical invitation to the village Christmas party.
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NB - I checked this morning with the local newspaper and the results for our village are in. Only, we have to pay to see the results. I'll wait until they are pinned to the noticeboard - that's free..
