Posted on 12/08/2006 8:16:05 AM PST by Eurotwit
The approach of the New Year and departure of the old inevitably brings a flurry of "year's best" lists. This even applies to nations, which some organizations make it their business annually to rank in order of wealth, quality of life, and what-have-you. Surprisingly often, the Nordic countries come out on top. This placement is usually a reflection less of objective reality, however, than of the list-makers' enthusiasm for the Nordic welfare-state model. The criteria, in other words, are formulated in such a way that the Nordic countries will inevitably end up on top. Hence Norway, for example, is repeatedly named by the United Nations as the world's richest country — forget that prices and taxes are so high that even business executives lunch on dry sandwiches brought from home in aluminum foil. Now it's Sweden's turn.
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
Yes, they are displayed in public, or you can take them directly from the party workers who will stand outside the election place (as I mentioned). However, most people take one of each and make their selection inside the voting booth.
I find that a bit odd.
In Norway, you walk into the election booth. There. Behind the curtains, all the election ballots are placed. There you can pick between the racist/fascist Progress party, the humanitarian God-fearing Labour Party, the Multicultural Conservatives etc. etc. :-)
Why don't you put the ballots into the election booth?
Heck, the last election, I even picked up the election ballot of the anti-abotion Christian fundamentalist list and considered voting for them. I reconsidered and ended up voting for the racist/fascists in the Progress party instead. However, I would probably have been somewhat more relucant to do this in public.
Cheers.
I would guess that it is a deliberate attempt by the Swedish politicians to favor centrist parties.
Quite honestly I don't think it is. It has been like this as long as I can remember, and as I said it is customary that people pick up all the different ballots and take them into the voting booth.
I don't know why they aren't placed behind the curtains in the first place. It may have to do with the fact that the officials should be able to see that they are not tampered with (destroyed) and that they don't run out of ballots for one or the other party.
I've been here for almost two years... heading home Saturday.. computer packed up tomorrow...
Stockholm is fabulous for Americans dipping their toes in a foreign country but as for how they run things, even Swedes I know shake their heads.
And please, everybody needs to remember, the US population is over 280 million. Sweden is 9 million. There are enough people employed here and taxed at 50-60% to support all the deadbeats (and immigrants).
As for the immigrants, like anyplace, if you want to find a job bad enough (and train hard - learn the language), I think you can... but why bother if the effort is beyond you and the state will support you anyway?
Sweden is looking at light in a tunnel, unfortunately it IS an oncoming train full of Muslims. Don't believe me? Talk to Swedish mothers of blond, beautiful teenage daughters.
Its been an experience I will never forget, but I can't wait to be back home.
I want to support what ScaniaBoy has written. It is more or less standard that you pick one ballot from each party before you go behind the screen and make your vote. Or you bring you own - normally you will get then in the post from all parties.
The idea that we should not have secrecy at the elections is simply rubbish and that is a fact! With that in mind, the rest of the article is of course tainted.
In the US, all parties are on the same ballot, so this kind of pressure does not exist. Of course, Sweden may have a lot more folks running for office, I don't know.
I have no idea of what the US ballots look like, but in Sweden we primarily vote for a political party and secondly for a candidate. Thus, the big parties will have a lot of names on their ballots.
For an example, check out http://www.val.se/val/val2006/valsedlar/02R.html?parti=0001&submit=OK which is in Swedish, but will show you the general layout. Each ballot is for one party only. Thus, you cast your vote for the party that is on the ballot you choose and then you may tick the box in front of the candidate you favor. (If you dont, they will be selected in the order their names are printed on the ballot)
In the US, the parties have a primary election, first, to decide who will represent that party for the seat. So, when the real, general election comes around, a vote for the candidate is the same as a vote for his party.
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