When I was growing up through my impressionable teen years, my mother worked in the electorate office of our local federal member. This meant I became involved in the fringes of local ALP politics (which let me tell you are rough and tumble, with enough Machiavellian maneouvring to satisfy even the most ardent political pundit….except on a very small scale). Anyway for a number of years I would volunteer to give out how to votes at various booths around town for federal and state elections, except when the local branches lost their senses and preselected absolutely rubbish candidates who no one in their right mind could support. This happens more often than you’d imagine.

When I was in my late teens and early twenties it was exciting to stand at the gates of the local school and watch democracy in action as you offered your how-to-vote to someone. But then at some point, (I think it was the failed republican referendum), I started to lose interest. I saw the how-to-vote process as a waste of time. People have either made up their minds before they get there, or they don’t care and write the extra box for mickey mouse or elvis on the bottom of the ballot paper. (I have scrutineered once as well).

Mum has drifted away from it as well but did stand up the road at the local school for two hours today and I dropped her off and picked her up. This was a joint booth…i.e. you could vote for either Bundaberg or Burnett there. So everyone who walked in had to be asked “Bundaberg or Burnett” which was painfully repetitive and also revealed the astonishing lack of interest of the majority of voters, in that they had no clue which electorate they lived in. She likes it still I think, but only because she was chatting away to the LNP lady who just lives up the road. They were having a lovely conversation when I got there. And as Mum later told me, when the LNP lady had to go and get something out her car, Mum gave her flyers out as well, which must have been confusing for the potential voters.

Anyway, I hold no great hope that tomorrow we won’t wake up to a whole new alien nation under the regime of Premier Borg. I imagine here it will be business as usual with our LNP sitting members retained, although it would be nice to think otherwise.If Anna Bligh gets through it will be a miracle, not quite in the manner of Keating’s “one for the true believers”, but perhaps getting close.

I have volunteered to sell programs at the theatre tonight and then will probably stay on and watch the play. This means missing my favourite part of all elections, the election coverages and Antony Green. Though I’m sure I will hear who wins soon enough.