Ancient history

This is a polling booth in Thailand where officials – local teachers and volunteers – once waited for eager voters. Even the very elderly, like those who were alive at the time of Thailand’s first coup in 1932, lined up to exercise their constitutional responsibilities.

As radio confirmation arrived that nation-wide voting had closed, the ballot boxes would be sealed and readied for transportation to the regional tallying station. In national elections, no vote counting occured at a village or district level. Under the 1997 constitution, and its electoral laws, it was almost impossible to track which voter (or village) voted for which candidate. Elections were thus fought with gusto. Nothing could be taken for granted.

Every vote counted.