Voting day in the Netherlands…
I do not vote, even though I am not in principle against the parliamentary system (1500 days mandate without an option to recall or correct the person/party I have mandated makes it not good enough a system for me) So I do not delegate my power, still I am ready to influence parliament or the local council. Flyers where dropping as late as this morning in my letterbox of people asking my vote, who I never had heard of before; so next time we may congregate via Facebook or other social media to give some real meaning to democracy…. regularly over the whole period of four years to have a real exchange of opinions, to give guts to the idea of representation, instead of only mouthing the ‘D’ word during a few weeks before elections. There is more potential for participating in government in society than the casting of the traditional vote.
Poster in the collection of the International Institute of Social History; collection CSD: BG D69/268; 1978. text says: "Do not let your vote/voice be lost --- VOTE NOT"; printed in Groningen by 'de Zwarte Lantaarn" (Black Lantern) in 1978. Classified with Anti-Parliamentarism; though this is debatable... because one could well on the basis of this poster message voice opinions to delegates in the parliament.
A typical example of a very last moment leaflet, which I found in my letter box on the election day itself. Before I have never ever received any information of this lady or party (the social-democrats who have been for many decades in power in most of the sub-sectors of the city of Amsterdam. The sub-sector representation system with political parties representing inhabitants at a neighbourhood level has only been introduced in the seventies of last century. It is yet another bureaucratic layer, yet another sector of people making some sort of a professional career. I can see no anvancement for democratic processes in such a system.
Call for voting for the council of the inner city of Amsterdam, the lady - Tineke Koopman - tells me she is already living for years in the Eastern Part of the Inner City: "...and I will be pleased to represent you in the coming four years in the local city council."
the limping messenger 
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