Participation in elections brings us back down to earth. Democracy is about looking into reality even for the successful
For the elections, both lords and commoners go with their ballot. Polling stations are naturally located in public spaces. Most often they are elementary and secondary schools or municipal offices. Occasionally, a ballot box slips into a hall in an older pub. Polling stations are actually a reflection of what our society looks like, and we regularly remind ourselves of this.
Someone drives a rusty first-generation Fabia whose paint shines in all colors, except for the original one, and another person drives a Tesla in full force. However, both of them can get to the same polling station with their cars. It is most likely to be a school that both drivers might have attended together.
Quite certainly, a person who already sends their own children there will find many things in the unchanged form from their school years on the polling base. Although we regularly hear from all sides before the most important elections to the Chamber of Deputies (compared to European elections, regional elections, municipal elections, etc.) that it's a historic moment and how important they are, the whole act takes place in the most ordinary public space that happens to be available.
The election commission can easily convene in a rural tavern, where many normally fear to tread in order not to smell the stench of everyday drunkenness, but we just don't push an urn with voices into modern shopping centers, where people often and gladly go.
Polling rooms are thus witnesses to an interesting paradox. Elections are a celebration of democracy, but no one even thinks of erecting a modern sanctuary for it. A beautiful document is a view of photographs of significant politicians, smiling over the ballot box in the backdrop of non-modern primary schools.
A beautiful contrast is also offered by a photo of President Pavel, standing surrounded by bodyguards and journalists with modern recording technology, and immediately behind him are the romantically chipped windows of the municipal office in the village of Černouček, the existence of which almost no one knew yet and today almost everyone knows the residence of the popular president.
And it's not just about local patriots' experiences.
"The Travertine woman in front of ZŠ Brno, Bakalovo náb. is already waiting for the results. Voters have the last few minutes to decide on them. The Czech Television is sending a live broadcast of our cameraman Jiří Hlavatý for the European Broadcasting Union from this school, from where it is picked up by all world stations,"
For example, Petr Minařík, editor of Czech Television, pointed out on the X network.
At least the Brno base has some kind of statue on its premises. Thanks to this, it can be a little more dressed up, that the elections take place in the most ordinary place.
Another contrast offers an election visit to primaries and municipal offices. We live in a hyper-technological age, at least compared to recent history, but this is not much reflected in our domestic elections. We can follow the ongoing count on the internet, which has been working since the 90s. The biggest revolution in the history of elections of the independent Czech Republic provoked a huge discussion.
For the first time this year, it is possible to vote from abroad by mail. In 2025, when letters are perhaps sent by regular mail only from summer camps, it is possible to use this historic invention for elections.
Even a look at the ballot papers is amusing. The super poor quality paper they are printed on is perhaps only produced for the needs of elections, because it is almost impossible to write on such paper and people do not tear it when inserting it into the envelope perhaps only because of the importance they attach to the elections and treat it as they would a porcelain doll from their great-grandmother.
However, let's be grateful for the modesty and normality of the elections. Since ancient times, moderation has been considered a virtue and it's great to realize that participating in the administration of one's own state is the most ordinary thing for us. There are many places in the world where an election in rooms with chipped windows can only be dreamed of, let alone what kind of car they can drive.
