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Sooo ... I was an election helper in our national elections this Sunday. It was a fantastic experience, all told - it moved me in unexpected ways, gave food for thought, changed me somehow, just a bit. Here's a report. Maybe it's interesting.
We were a nice little team charged with setting everything up, then once open I served as a keeper of records: checking that voters are in the lists and eligible.
1/8
Hour upon hour, the folks of this voting district (I was assigned to a place different from where I live) passed by, a steady stream from the first minute to the last. Participation was high. I saw their names and dates of birth: families, singles, young and old, workmen and academics, dressed formally, fancilly, casually. The oldest voter was 90, musing this would be her last time voting, the youngest just eligible for the first time.
2/8
The mood was joyous throughout: people were in a good mood, friendly, thankful, in great spirits. There was a positive flow of energy as the population of the district filtered by my desk, one after the other, received a voting form, went to the booths, and re-emerged to cast their vote into the sealed box.
Only one person of hundreds made a disparaging political statement. Two claimed the election forms were rigged, part of a scam. But that was all.
3/8
What struck me, as I saw the birth dates in my list, were several folks who were born just as World War 2 started, in 1939. Here they were, voting in a democratic election in 2025, and they had still seen, as children, the world war. Others were born in the turmoil after the war, in 1945, 1946. What was that like for their parents? Some had birth places far away, such as in Iran. Some had their toddlers in tow, a generation born after 2020. Some looked their age, worn; some not at all.
4/8
Seeing all these people gave me a really good feeling: these are good, decent people. Population, neighbours, the Germans in 2025. And how amazing: throughout the country, people were flocking to voting places like this, 60.5 million voters, to determine who will be in power next, who will be chancellor, who will govern. Isn't democracy the most amazing thing, that we can change leaders, bestow power - everybody equal?
5/8
The hard, sobering shock came when we opened the box and counted the votes, once voting had closed (any citizen can come and watch; in our case, none did). Form upon form I unfolded said: first vote far-right, second vote far-right. Of course there were lots of other votes. And some really funny combinations. But quickly, the stack of votes to be counted for the far right was very visibly the highest.
6/8
More than one in three of these wonderful, friendly, good-humoured folks that had passed by my desk had voted for the anti-EU, pro-Russian, anti-foreigner, anti-science, anti-inclusion, often neofascist illiberals, sowing hate and division.
My elation at the wonders of democracy I saw in action first hand, and the stream of all of the population coming out, was much tempered. It was not unexpected. But to see it so concretely, hard to fathom. And hard to stomach.
7/8
The counting of the votes went well, our numbers matched up perfectly quickly. I was surprised it was more work than I had thought: with two votes that can be split, and lots of cross-checks and verifications. Also, the documentation and reporting - lots of numbers and details to be entered into forms following detailed instructions, and a report of all that happened signed and filed.
Voting helper: an experience that moved me, in many ways. I can recommend it.
8/8
@W_Lucht
Which I can confirm 
@W_Lucht vielen Dank für deinen Bericht 
@Geisseltierchen
Gerne! Danke für's treue Mitlesen 
!
Die 40 Euro, die man als Erfrischungsgeld dafür bekommt, werde ich dieser Tage mal in Berlin an jemanden weitergeben, der auf der Straße sitzt.
@W_Lucht Danke dafür
, und danke fürs Teilen der Erfahrungen.
Puuh, das ist schon heftig dieser Kontrast zwischen freundlich-sympathischen Auftreten und Wahlentscheidung.
@Geisseltierchen
@W_Lucht
As an elected official in our local Govt, thank you for that work. We see it regularly, and it's essential to a democratic system. Not many people stop to consider the time that people put in to making sure it works correctly.
@W_Lucht Thanks for the report. I have also been an election helper 4 times. It really is a good experience. But I fully understand your sadness about how people then actually voted.
@W_Lucht Felt exactly the same when I volunteered at last year's European election 
(They didn't need me this year.)
@W_Lucht in science, we see how much time it takes such that ideas are spreading out. For example, the most advanced math concept I learned in school has been Cauchy’s analysis from 19th century. As such, it may not be surprising that some people still believe in political solutions from the 19th century such as autonomous national states. But no isolated state can sustain itself and offer all the political, economical and technological solutions those people got used to. A paradox!