HOW WOULD YOU LIKE A CHALLENGE?

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE A CHALLENGE?

More specifically, how would you like the challenge of organizing and running an election on a national scale. As a former teacher, I would often have mock student votes when there was a provincial or federal election, to have students study and practise the electoral process. Alberta just completed an election and I hope that no one was paid to be the organizer. It was child’s play compared to some elections that are being held in other parts of the world. If you want a real challenge, read on. 

The Alberta election campaigning lasted 28 days and involved 2.5 million eligible voters selecting 87 provincial members from four primary political parties. I found it interesting that there were still four communist candidates on a few ballots. Overall, there were about 500 candidates and about 1.5 million Albertans voted during five days of advanced polls and 11 hours on election day. The ultimate vote count and election results were basically determined within two hours of the polls closing. Well, if you think our election required some logistical planning skills, consider what some populous countries have to face!

Indonesia held their national election the day after we did. Indonesia is a country of more than 17,000 islands, that is multi-ethnic and multi-religious. Some 193 million people are eligible to vote for a president, members of the national assembly and local government positions. Across the country there some 245,000 candidates, from 20 parties, running for more than 20,000 total seats. The country needs more than 800,000 polling stations and the help of 6 million election workers. Voting begins at 7 a.m. local time and voters have five hours, until 1 p.m., to cast their ballots before polls are closed and the counting begins.

Ensuring that this election, in the world's third largest democracy, would go off without a hitch has to be a logistical nightmare. Election workers must travel by boat to remote islands, scale mountains to reach hill-top villages and trek through jungles -- sometimes on horses -- to bring ballot boxes within range of every voter. I can’t even imagine the complexity of then collecting and tabulating the results in any cohesive fashion. Is seems to me that by the time the ballots were all gathered and counted, and the results tabulated, it would almost be time for another election! Whoever is in charge of this election, deserves a million dollar bonus!

If any election could be more complex than in Indonesia, it would be in India. Over 900 million people are eligible to vote for 543 government seats and the election is held over a period of almost six weeks. There are 85 different political parties participating in various combinations throughout the country. Our Alberta election advance poll results were not counted until the day after the election so that no advance results could influence the voting on election day. I am assuming that India is not concerned with this issue! Some interesting notes on Indian elections: all voting is by electronic voting machines, each voter has their finger dipped in ink to prevent repeat voting, and all ballots include a NOTA designation where the electorate can indicate “non of the above” candidates are suitable. I just wonder what would happen if NOTA won!  

So if you are seeking a retirement challenge and have time to spare, please contact either the Indonesian or Indian authorities and attach your CV!