[photos] May 13, 2010 The Election pt.3

6. Counting the Votes

The committee members gather up here to count the votes.

While the votes are counted, all students wait outside to hear the final result.

Some of them decided to vandalize the posters. I guess they weren't getting into any trouble for doing it this time...

8. The Result

Two candidates sit nervously side by side in front of the entire school as the result is announced.


The winner!!! The Form 3 candidate won the majority of votes!

It turned out that he won because there were a lot more Form 3 students in the school than Form5s. After all that performance, posters and paper flags, what mattered after all, was the numbers.

Of course, it ends with a hug.

[photos] May 13, 2010 The Election pt.2

4. The Poling Stations

We had several polling stations around the school which were marked with the election committee posters. Here, the guys are anxiously waiting to vote in front of the doors.


When you go into the station, you are greeted with the committee members like him.

5. How to Vote

Once you go in, a committee member gives you a ballot.

You choose your candidate on the ballot and cast it into the box as shown in these pictures.



The process ends as another committee member smears purple ink onto your finger indicating that you've voted.

[photos] May 13, 2010 The Election

Like any other schools in any other countries, my school has a student government.

What I've noticed though over the years is that the student government at my school isn't perceived as a representative body for the students, but more likely as an institution that maintains student discipline. It's the student government who make sure that students on duty would clean the school every morning (and if they skip the cleaning duty, stick beating awaits them...) or the students would line up on straight lines before start of a morning assembly.

Nevertheless, we have annual student government elections, and the students turn it into one of the rare festivities at our school. I forgot to bring my camera on the election day last year, but this year, I walked around with my camera all day.

It reads; Hamamni Secondary School, "Election Committee" 2010.

1. Two candidates.

We started our morning off with speeches given by this year's candidates. One on the left is a Form 3 (Grade 9) student and one on the right is a Form 5 (Grade 11) student who is dressed up for this occasion and brought some wingmen with him.

I didn't see much of a drama during this year's speeches except occasional cheers from the listeners, but last year, all the candidates were repeatedly exclaiming "Change!" and "Hope!" Yes, I guess they caught up on the trend after watching the world news...

2. The Campaign

The Form 5 candidate brought in paper flags and posters. Yes, it's all about the performances.

Last year, one of the candidates came to school, being dressed up in suit and tie followed by his equally well-dressed wingmen with sunglasses acting as members of the secret service. (and his campaign slogan was "Time is ready for change!") Damn, I wish I had brought my camera last year...

3. The Election Committee

The whole event was organized by a student-ran election committee. Here, after the candidate speeches, head of the committee is giving instructions on the voting process.

Now it's time for them to vote!