Thing #29 that I love about Geneva/Switzerland - Voting by correspondance

I know that this is not a novel concept in many countries, but coming from the US, I find the idea of being able to vote by correspondence on a universal and systematic basis to be a bit of a revelation.

Not only in Switzerland can you cast your ballot by mail, but the explanatory material accompanying your voting packet is amazing!

You systematically receive literature providing the details of the propositions you are voting on (ex. modifying social security) as well as providing the official counter arguments against the measure. On top of that, you get a nice tidy little list in the back of the brochure showing each Party's position. So if you are undecided you can always reference the vantage point of the political party that you feel the most affinity with (there are 7 principal parties in the Canton of Geneva, plus a handful of smaller Parties: Solidarity, Left Alliance, Workers Party, Communist Party and Independents).

So you get your voting packet in the mail, read the support literature, write in your vote on the ballot, seal it up in an anonymous blue envelope and then put it in a bigger envelope with a card you sign verifying that it is indeed you that voted. Then you just pop it all in the mail box (of course the postage is already paid on the envelope).

It's just so damn civilized!