Well, on the day, I’ll be handing out How to Vote cards yet again. I enjoy it, although it’s hard work, at my age, staying on your feet for hours (all day last time) with the occasional sprint to give someone a card at a different gate. People would be a bit surprised I think to learn that people handing out cards for the major parties – Labor, Libs, Greens, Nationals, Democrats, generally speaking get along pretty well on the day (though there are one or two of the minor parties, if there, that I will do no more than say good morning to – I’m no saint). Oh maybe a bit of cheek, bit of a joke about someone else’s leader, but usually just a good chat about life and the universe, about the election campaign, about the weather (please, don’t let it be a miserable wet day on Saturday), about hobbies, farming life, whatever.
We don’t, as in some countries, hate each other, draw knives, guns, bombs, scream abuse. Oh it’s not that the policy differences, philosophical differences, personality differences, aren’t important, of course they are, and we all take our politics very seriously (otherwise we wouldn’t be standing on a windy footpath doing this). We believe in throwing out the old government, or supporting the old government for another term; are anxious about climate change, or education, or health, or infrastructure, and have different ideas on how to address those issues. But we also believe in our Australianess, our shared humanity, our shared general goals and ideals; and we believe in those qualities in the general population, and their consequent ability to make a good decision, freely.
And we are there to celebrate a very healthy democracy, one in which we can hand out how to vote cards good-naturedly side by side. One where the campaign is over and now it just remains to count the votes. And because everyone in the population is voting the whole thing becomes a carnival, a celebration of being Australian, a kind of combination Australia Day, Anzac Day, Xmas Day, Melbourne Cup Day. Having it take place in school buildings also adds to the occasion, weaves it all into the fabric of our society; and the children that turn up to hang around while their parents vote are learning a lesson about our society that is as valuable as any they learn in their formal schooling. We should go for fixed terms, always have it on the same day, make it a real festival of our democracy. Could greet each other with a cheery “Happy Voting Day”.
So when you see the people handing out How to Votes on Saturday, take one of each, say good morning with a smile, help to celebrate the wonder that is Australian democracy.
And anyway, one of them might be me!
Happy Voting Day.
Postscript I wrote this about a week ago when discussing where I would be handing out how to vote cards, and feeling something of a warm nostalgic glow from my last effort in 2007. Since then, in the last few days, we have seen a Green candidate in a coastal town being very nastily verbally abused and narrowly escaping a physical beating for daring to be in favour of trying to stop fish species going extinct. And we have seen a Liberal supporter physically attacking a Labor supporter in Queensland. It seems that the Right, as in America in recent years, and many other countries in the past, are back in the business of physically intimidating and trying to silence the Left in Australia. I am now less optimistic about the political process than I was a week ago.
You’re right by and large about volunteers at polling booths. I confess I’ve not done it for a long time now.
In fact, the only really unpleasant person I’ve encountered wasn’t a volunteer. He was one of a troop of people who’d been recruited to work for money, probably a pittance, in our electorate. I presume he wasn’t a party member because he didn’t have that eyebrows raised, eye-rolling sigh technique that members of all parties share when things go a bit strange.
Hi Adelady – yes, I once had an unpleasant moment from a voter – a rabid National Party member and former mayor of this very conservative town – but I handled it non-confrontationally. I often get “Huh, wouldn’t vote for you in a million years” and that’s fine.
Well once again I’ll be on my best behaviour at a rural centre handing out HTVs all day, or until the knees give in, for the Greens which will be the first time the Greens have had a presence in what is one of the bluest booths in one of the COALition’s safest seats in the nation.
And I expect to get the usual “You’re not from around here are you?” parochial question despite being ‘from around here’ for twenty years.
Last election I got the same response from several people in a different rural centre and they didn’t believe me that my family had been in the area for over a 100 years until my cousin walked up and later a couple of my ex-students recognised me.
Next time I swear I am only going to do this HTV trick at a solid Red/Green booth, where of course I’m not needed.
I’m sick of these snide remarks.
Hi Fred – yes I have had several elections (including state ones) of handing out Green HTVs in this very safe Liberal rural electorate. I do get some unpleasant reactions from rusted on national voters, but usually they are pleasant and polite – probably surprised to discover I don’t have horns and a tail and am not tucking into a lunch of small babies!
It was interesting comparing 2004 (when I was actually the Greens candidate) and 2007. In 2007 even though old Alby romped it in again, it was clear from the first half hour that the atmosphere was quite different, and I began telling Labor HTV people (proudly wearing their Kevin07 badges) that they were in business if there was a change of mood like that happening in a rural town.
It will be interesting to see what the mood is tomorrow, although I am at a much more progressive voting station this time.