Rock The Vote

Election season is - at least this year - an incredibly powerfully emotional time for me. Participation in the process can be frustrating, and frightening. Here in the United States there is a lot hanging on the result of tomorrow's election. Will Hope be realized or squandered?

New Zealand is also in the throws of electioneering. The official election day is Saturday, but being that I live overseas, and that Saturday is Shabbat I went to cast my vote this morning.

The New Zealand Consul General is located in an office park in Santa Monica. I was actually quite surprised to find that the lobby at the Consul General was empty. Once I caught the attention of the little lady behind the desk I was greeted by an official who went off to locate the correct forms, etc.

It took all of 5 minutes, and was decidedly anti-climactic really, but it felt really good to cast my votes. "Votes"?

New Zealand went to a Proportional Representation system a few years back, so there are two votes to be cast; one for preferred Party List, and one for local Member of Parliament. I vote for the Mana electorate, which is outside Wellington (which is where I last lived when I resided in New Zealand).

I like the M.P., a lady called Winnie Laban. I like her a lot; she is warm, dignified, and seems to have her head on right. While I was home in New Zealand in early October I saw her on a morning T.V. show talking about her recent successful battle with breast cancer, and urging Pacific Island and Maori women to have mammograms.

I went Labour, which I guess to those who know me is no great shock. They are definitely more the working class party. I like a lot of what the Green Party have to say, but Labour has the numbers and experience to carry the majority. "National" is just another way of saying "Tory" or "Republican" in my book - both of which are dirty words.

I like Helen Clark's "no nonsense", "straight to the point", "buggar that", manner. I just hope that she carries the day. It looks like a tight race mind you, and one that Labour is - I suspect - to loose. The population seem to be dissatisfied and that usually means that they will punish the incumbent.

We'll see...