This one is for all the fellow election administration wonks.
I'm on vacation this week in Mexico and very fortunate that there's an election today for the Governor of Guerrero. I spent a little time at a polling place to learn how they administer elections in Mexico and shot some video as well so you can see the ballots, the transparent ballot box and -- a first for me -- an outdoor polling place.
I've posted my report and the video on my blog at http://djwinfo.blogspot.com
I'll submit the first few paragraphs of the report in this email as well.
Through good fortune, I happen to be in Mexico today on the day of a
gubernatorial election. I had the opportunity to speak with the people
at a polling place and would like to share what I learned, with a
particular eye towards election administration.
Today the State of Guerrero is holding an election for Governor. Today
is a Sunday (notable in itself) and the polls are open from 9 am to 6
pm. The polling place I visited is outside -- a card table and a booth
on the side of a street with posters taped up the wall is all the
shelter required. I've never seen an outdoor polling place before
today, but apparently with the excellent climate of Mexico, there is no
need to find a polling place inside.
The ballot is colorful. There are three candidates and seven political
parties. Of the seven parties, only one nominated a single candidate
(PAN). The other six parties split evenly in two teams of three, with
PRI and PRD each leading a respective coalition of two smaller parties.
The ballots show the logos of the parties in full-color over the
printed name of the candidate. Voters are given a black permanent
marker and told to put a mark over the name and/or logo of the
candidate of their choice, then fold the ballot in half or quarters and
drop it into a box. The box is made of flimsy paper with transparent
windows on each side, a bit like a magician's box, to allow anyone to
see the folded ballots inside. The ballots will be counted by hand and
then taken to a central location.
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And if you'd like to read the full thing and see some video, the link it http://www.djwinfo.blogspot.com
Adios,
Dan
P.S. Any questions welcome, on- or off-list. I'd be happy to try to answer them.
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Dan Johnson-Weinberger
Attorney at Law
111 West Washington, Suite 1920
Chicago, Illinois 60602
312.867.5377 (office)
312.933.4890 (mobile)
312.794.7064 (fax)