{"id":137983,"date":"2022-03-17T14:06:58","date_gmt":"2022-03-17T13:06:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=137983"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:12","slug":"voting-at-the-university-are-you-only-allowed-to-colour-in-one-box","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/03\/17\/voting-at-the-university-are-you-only-allowed-to-colour-in-one-box\/","title":{"rendered":"Voting at the university: \u2018Are you only allowed to colour in one box?\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Voting is taking place today at various university locations. How are things going on election day in the Teil building, at the Rotterdam fraternity and Erasmus University College? A glimpse behind the scenes: district council elections are a hassle, baking brownies can be fun even if you don\u2019t like sugar and for ex-fraternity members, it was a day of reminiscing.<\/p>\n

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At the EUC, there are no packed lunches for the polling station staff<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeer van Tetterode<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cThe Lion King from the Lion King?\u201d \u201cSimba?\u201d \u201cNo.\u201d \u201cUm Mufasa!\u201d \u201cCorrect!\u201d Presiding officer at the polling station, Annekris van der Feer, guesses correctly, and not for the first time today. Just like during last year\u2019s national elections, polling station staff are playing charades, where someone tries to guess what the other person has just described. They are all from the same district team and know each other well. Today \u2018democracy calls\u2019, says Van der Feer.<\/p>\n

The game is being played at a fast pace in the Theil building hall at quarter past 11 on Wednesday morning. That might be due to the high sugar content of the brownies that polling station staff member Susanne Sliep has baked specially for the day. \u201cIt\u2019s a Nigella Lawson recipe. Personally, I don\u2019t like sugar,\u201d she chuckles. \u201cBut I thought it would be nice to share them today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vorstelijk onthaal<\/h2>

Is the game of charades necessary to stave off boredom or has it already been busy at the polling station? Van der Feer says that they haven\u2019t yet been overwhelmed with voters. \u201cWe\u2019ve now had 78 municipal council votes and 48 district council votes.\u201d She expects around 350 municipal council votes at this polling station by the end of the day. \u201cWhich is not as many as at national elections.\u201d<\/p>\n

Accounting and insurance student Marinka then arrives. As the only voter, she receives a royal welcome. After showing her voting cards, she is given a red pencil and she walks to one of the booths. Who did she vote for? She answers enthusiastically: \u201cChristenUnie. Not just for the Christian element, but because I feel it\u2019s the party for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018This is a nice day out\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t\t\t
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Hoog bezoek en een cactus<\/h2>

From the matt herringbone floor in the dark room of the RSC\/RVSV main building in Kralingen, a stale smell of beer rises. Beside the bar are three ballot boxes. Sanna Plessius is presiding officer of the polling station and works during the week as tax advisor at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. \u201cThis is a nice day out,\u201d she says. This morning at 9 o\u2019clock, mayor Aboutaleb arrived here to vote. \u201cHe\u2019s a nice man and the entourage and press brought some life into the building.\u201d Around lunch time, 170 people arrive to vote for the municipal council. For the district votes, there are now 130 ballot papers in the box.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s busy at the association. A girl comes in with a friend. She\u2019s brought a cactus. Does the cactus have a vote too? \u201cNo, it\u2019s a present for a friend, but I can\u2019t take the plant into the polling booth, it\u2019s a bit awkward.\u201d She nonchalantly throws the cactus on a chair and rushes to the polling station. Economics student Marijn is authorised to vote for his housemate too. \u201cHe\u2019s got his arm in plaster.\u201d In terms of politics, Marijn and his housemate are on the same page. \u201cWe\u2019re both voting Volt. At least something happens there, and they are progressive.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Students Marloes and Daphne at polling station RSC welcome voters.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeer van Tetterode<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Reminiscing<\/h2>

At the door of the building are third-year RSC\/RVSV member Marloes and fellow association member Daphne. Marloes says that the RSC is happy to have a polling station in the building again: \u201cIt means that some local residents come along too.\u201d A surprising number of former members also come to vote at the association, she says. \u201cThey come and reminisce and look at the year photos.\u201d Someone was just here to vote for the first time, laughs Marloes: \u201cHe asked surprised: \u2018Are you only allowed to colour in one box?\u2019 He apparently had no idea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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Read more<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t