Today is a day of silence. How strange for our island of "bells, yells and smells" to contemplate silence and be quiet… Actually it is not about the absence of noise but about the choice of words. Many thoughts come to my mind on a day like today because we are allowed to think on this day of silence.
The Perspex addicts
Have you ever met a perspex addict? I have. They are fascinating people who glue themselves to the transparent wall separating them from the counting agents in the election hall. They are the ones who bang on ‘the Perspex’ (as it’s called) in jubilation and bang on the Perspex in frustration. That is what we see from home on our TV screens. When you get to know these people closely you will find that they are gurus when it comes to elections, numbers, vote inheritance, etc.
During my first electoral experience I got to know these dedicated men (this is still very much a man’s world) better. They voluntarily spend long hours without sleep to follow the votes of one particular candidate or party. Although very focused on the task before them, they network between themselves and know what is going on in other areas of the hall.
I was fascinated by their line of thought and the precision with which they calculate the process. What I found most fascinating is the fact that none of them use any calculators and very few scribble their rough workings on paper. It’s all in their minds.
So, over the weekend, if you are watching the counting hall agents behind the Perspex, remember that, whatever your first impressions are of the slightly haggard, dishevelled and rowdy people you see with noses glued to the Perspex, they are in fact wily, knowledgeable and indispensable in the democratic process, and doing their very best to avoid mistakes like misplaced votes, which would affect the final result and the people’s choice.
The waiting game
The coming hours are the crucial part of the waiting game. Candidates find this time very frustrating. There is very little you can do from this point on. It is just like handing in your exam paper and waiting for the result or going for an interview and checking your mail 20 times a day.
I sympathise with all the candidates. During these hours so many “What if …” questions come to mind. What if I had organised more activities? What if I had managed more home visits? What-if-this and what-if-that. For some, the waiting game is over on Sunday; for most it will drag on till Monday and Tuesday. This is a fascinating process to watch but, when you yourself are part of it, I assure you that it is totally nerve-racking.
Media Anecdotes
I’m sure you’ve all heard your share of phone-in competition jokes. Allow me to let you in on a secret: many of the jokes you heard are true. I know because I have a few stories of my own to tell from my experience as a radio and TV broadcaster.
Picture this situation: a non-political radio station, a non-political fun phone-in competition programme, broadcasting on a day of silence. I was asking listeners general knowledge questions which they had to look up on-line or in an encyclopedia. The listener with the correct answer gets to win a pizza for two, a free blow-dry or a €10 voucher. The programme was called “Ping Pong” and past editions included questions like “How long is the great wall of China?”
On this particular day of silence, questions were carefully vetted to avoid political innuendos. I asked the question, “Who is the author and creator of Sherlock Holmes?” Replies included Charles Dickens and Enid Blyton. Before we got to the correct answer (Arthur Conan Doyle), a wise caller blurted out the name of a politician. I was totally taken by surprise and did not have the time to press the delay button which would not have allowed the answer to go on air. Today, many years later, I cannot tell you what that reply was because it might influence your vote tomorrow!
Ed’s note.... We hope that Claudette will tell us this time next week ! The suspense is killing us.