In room 314, the first voters present their voter’s card and identification, which, after a thorough check, entitles them to a small blue envelope into which they must slip one of the twelve geometrically arranged ballots on a wooden table placed in front of the desk and its assessors. The first proxy votes are arriving and the various documents are checked in detail against a list which must show the proxy request and the name of the principal. The system seems well-oiled and after a short break-in period, one needs to be in top shape to handle the influx late in the morning and keep some energy reserved for staying open until 8 PM, the definitive closing time of the office.
“I came early because afterwards, I have to go meet my son and grandchildren at Cagnes sur Mer. We will follow it as a family around a good barbecue that we hope will be less indigestible than in 2002. I am surprised to see so many people early in the morning, but I believe this election has concerned a lot more people,” Catherine, a brand new retiree, was one of the first to drop her envelope into the transparent ballot box and would not tell us for whom she voted but confessed she had “changed camps” since the last election in 2002.
“It’s such a beautiful day; it calls to be enjoyed. That’s why we came right at the opening to then head a bit into the countryside and enjoy the sun. In 2002, I had voted in the afternoon and had waited quite a bit,” Claude came with his wife and mother-in-law, who votes in Villefranche sur Mer.
“I voted for myself but also for my wife who is on vacation with the children. I am eager to find out who will come out of this very tight first round. I look forward to 8 PM unless I take a look at the Belgian or Swiss websites which should give estimates from 6 PM. It’s not right that the estimates are given to the elites two hours earlier, I would give them to everyone at the same time if I were President,” Alex, a civil servant living in the neighborhood with his wife and two children, tells us he is satisfied with the various campaigns and that, this year, he and his wife opted for the same vote.
The starting signal is indeed given in Nice as everywhere in France, and the countdown unceasingly ticks towards the choice of the ballot box à la April 22nd.
