群馬県太田市の市長選挙に行ってきた。

小雨の降る中、写真をとりつつ投票に行く。

ジジイと餓鬼の２人だけ立候補。

投票場は、立派な建物を潰して、新しく建てた集会場。（建築の認可は現市長だろう。）

跡地

新集会場

長靴を脱いで現場（以前は土足でOKだった）、「履物を脱いでください」と張り紙があったので、選管職員に「このスリッパも脱ぐのか」と問うと、「そのままお願いします。」と当惑して答えた。

２つの質問

１）筆記具は鉛筆でなければ駄目か？
２）なんで２０：：００までの投票を１９：００で切り上げるのか？

１）はボールペンでOKと選管職員は答えた。持参したボールペンで記入した。
２）は、聞いてみただけ。下っ端の選管職員には答えようがない。

鉛筆では、別人が消して書く不正の温床になる。投票時間の短縮は特定勢力に有利になる。

私はジジイに投票した。餓鬼は「若いことだけ」を売りにしていた。たぶんジジイが勝つだろう。

森下礼

I went to the mayoral election in Ota City, Gunma Prefecture.

In the light rain, I took pictures and went to vote.

Only two people, an old man and a brat, are running.

The polling place is a new assembly hall built after a large building was demolished. (The current mayor must have approved the construction.)

I took off my boots (previously shoes were OK) and there was a sign saying "Please take off your shoes," so I asked the election official "Do I have to take off my slippers too?" and he answered confused, "Please leave them on."

Two questions

1) Do you have to use a pencil as a writing implement?

2) Why do they cut off voting at 19:00 instead of 20:00?

The election official said that 1) was OK with a ballpoint pen. I filled it in with the ballpoint pen I brought with me.

I just asked about 2). There's no way to answer a low-ranking election official.

If you use a pencil, it's a breeding ground for fraud, where someone else erases and writes. Shortening the voting time will give an advantage to certain factions.

I voted for the old man. The brats were selling themselves on being "young." The old man will probably win.

Rei Morishita