Elections: A Whole New Meaning

Election time is coming up in the States and local elections just took place here in Brazil. I can't claim to now be an expert on the Brazilian voting system, but I have learned a lot about the interesting and very different way it is done here and I thought I'd fill you in.

To begin with, every adult Brazilian citizen is required to vote or justify themselves as not voting. This seemed to make a big impact because as a result those campaigning try to advertise to EVERYONE, knowing that absolutely everyone will go to the polls and have a chance to vote for them.

A second major difference is that in Brazil there are MANY candidates. Even in these local elections, it was impossible to remember all of the different names and faces. To keep things simple, each person running is associated with a number - 14, 45, etc. So, whenever you see propaganda for that person, there is always a number along with it, so you can keep things straight :)

Anyway, so what does election time look like? Let me show you....

Here it's all about flags - One of the major ways of trying to get votes is through flags. Many candidates have big flags made with their name and number written on them. Then in the afternoons usually (and especially on the weekends) people (who are usually paid) stand out along the streets waving the flags.
Sometimes there are TONS of them in the same place, especially in busy areas. It was impossible really to capture the scene, but you get the idea. Everywhere you look there are flags!Often flags are put on houses, stores, and even cars too. Sometimes many cars representing their candidate with flags drive down the road like a spontaneous parade and firecrackers are lit to draw extra attention. (I've seen up to 30 cars doing this together!)

In addition to advertising through flags, it's also common to advertise through jingles. Many candidates have little songs that explain who they are and their views set to music. Then a car with a load speaker system drives through the neighborhoods playing the song everyday - or even several times a day! They really get stuck in your head too :)

Lastly, there are these little fliers that are literally all over the streets around election time. Each one represents a different candidate and they are handed out left and right, stuffed in your mailbox 4 or 5 at a time, or just laying on the streets. Some are even made into stickers and you find them stuck to your door! Wow is it a different experience! Talk about culture shock!

So election day finally came. Jeyson is signed up to vote in Goiania so we decided to go to Jeyson's parents' house for the weekend and we brought along our friends Andres and Camila. Saturday night we had a bonfire and toasted marshmellows, which are starting to become popular here. Camila had never had a smore before and was impressed with the American delicacy :)

Sunday morning we went to a local school where Jeyson was assigned a specific classroom to vote.

Hoping it wouldn't take too long, Andres and Camila stayed in the car.

Wow, look how many of those fliers are on the ground!

The actual voting took place at a local public school. Sadly the voting machine in the room where Jeyson had to vote was not working! Since Jeyson was required to vote by law, we had no choice but to wait in line for the technician to come and fix the machine. Above you can see Jeyson in line behind the man with the #9 jersey.

After an hour the machine was fixed and Jeyson had successfully voted. We came out to find our friends relaxing on a bench after having some ice cream. We were glad they hadn't waited in the hot car the whole time! Here in Brazil a candidate has to receive a minimum number of votes more than the other candidates for the election to count. In Goiania that happened, but here in Anapolis there were not enough votes for any one candidate to win. As a result, in a few weeks there will be a second vote to choose between the top candidates of the first round. So, the campaigning continues here, though on a smaller scale.

Well to say the least, I have learned a lot about Brazilian elections. Learning about living in another country is so much more than just the language or learning about new foods - it is a whole new way of thinking and understanding that only comes with time and first hand experience....I wonder what's next!