11/7/2005: Swiss direct democracy of the 70s

Would you guess what it was if there wasn't a title there? xoB is on fire finding images, and sends this one. This is an unpublished National Geographic picture from 1973.

"Men of Appenzell, Switzerland, gather to vote on public issues at the annual Landsgemeinde (constitutional assembly). Most Swiss cantons have abolished the Landsgemeinde in favor of anonymous written ballots, but a few Landsgemeinde are still held, continuing this 600-year-old tradition of direct democracy."

It looks like fairly direct democracy, but you do note that only half the eligible citizens seem included in the vote.

Someone actually tries to count how many hands are raised?

It does solve the problem of hanging chads and recounts.

I thought they didn't give the vote to women until some donkey years late?

I've seen this system used in nonpolitical situations where they would have "counters" stationed throughout the crowd to count the hands in their area.
Just how the counters determine the boundry between them is a mystery.

If the actual count is close, then whatever they say the tally is would be hard to dispute. If the actual count is not close, then it's probably obvious to the officials and the crowd alike.

Sure that isnt GWB dressed in red and they are giving him a group finger? How do the Swiss flip the bird, anyway?

Thats right.. it's a universal thingie.

Sorry but I have to say it "Where's Wally"...?

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnhowdy WTF is donkey years. I'm curious.

If they're palm toward you, given the scale of the picture, it would be hard to tell.

Switzerland can be very culturally conservative. If you were a swiss woman you lost your swiss citizenship if you married a foreigner until a few years ago. I filled in my ballot paper about changes in workplace law and banning GM food, my duty as a swiss citizen a few hours ago, it's one kickass system of government.

I drove within 50 yards of "my" polling place tuesday.