Free Write - Election

 

This week, two of the writers were at a conference in Portugal and the third was back in Switzerland. One American and two ex-Americans made Rick's choice of topic, obvious--Election. Per usual, we each wrote for ten minutes from the prompt.

Rick's Free Write

They were reporting the election results on streaming TV and, of course, the government-run social media site, Verity. But no one paid much attention. The results had been known months ago, perhaps years before. The ruling party received 98.6% of the popular vote, and the president was re-elected again.

There were token votes for the ‘opposition’ candidate, who was only on the ballot as a pretense of ‘democracy,’ to fool the gullible into believing they had a voice in their fate. Some days or weeks after, the candidate would die from a mysterious food poisoning or a fall out a window.

It hadn’t always been this way. The country once had a robust democratic process, generally won by one of the two major parties, and there were several third-party choices as well. But the ultraconservatives had eked out a victory for their cult leader, largely by pseudo-legal manipulation of the system and an oligarch paid-for judiciary, and once in power he (and his heirs) had no intention of giving up the reins, and perks, of autocracy.

That was 20 years ago, 2024, and from then to today the once-United States of America is unrecognizable.

 D-L's Free Write

Erica waited in line to vote standing behind two males. 

"Bob has to win," Jason said. "Can you imagine if Jenny wins? He shook his head then turned to look at Erica. "You better vote for Bob, or we will tell Mason."

Erica smiled. She needed to break up with Mason. He had pushed her too hard both physically and mentally. He'd forbidden her to see certain of her friends. Enough of that treatment, she thought.

The line inched toward the classroom where the class president would be elected.

Later that day, the results were announced. Jenny had won, not by a landslide, but by three percent, the same percentage that the girls outnumbered the boys.

Julia's Free Write

OK, it’s that day, the one we’ve all been either looking forward to, or dreading.

She had just entered school at age six – yes this was years ago – and during that very first week she heard the word for the first time: 3 syllables. Her teacher’s PICKING her to be the one posed with an apple in her hand towards the teacher, to be the photo in the local newspaper is still a reminder of simpler times.

Later as a young teenager, her SELECTION as the 8^th grade class representative marked the fact that her diction was good: of all the mumblers, she was the clearest.

As an older, on the verge of adulthood, teenager, her NOMINATION as editor of the school newspaper seemed unmerited, but then she did love to read.

In university she made a life-changing and determining DECESION to study abroad a year.

Her CHOICE of country, totally unplanned.

And so we come to the Meriam Webster’s definition of ELECTION

The one taking place today will determine the world’s future.