Voting!

National elections took place this month.

While the results were disappointing for us adults, 

Chely had a positive civic experience.

She was SO excited to participate in the children's voting, organized for 5- to 14-year-olds.

She even had a count-down to voting day.

Edwin traveled twelve hours to his hometown to cast his vote,

so Chely, Kayalá, and I headed out to one of the many sites around the city set up for kids to vote.

When we got there it was bustling already,
but Chely only waited in line for five minutes or so.

An hour later the lines snaked out the door
and people had to wait an hour or more!

And this wasn't even an official adult voting station!

The children's enthusiasm for voting bodes well for the future,
I think. 

 Most of the event organizers themselves were children.

They took their job really seriously.



So did Chely. Here she is marking her ballot:

When she was done voting they marked her index finger with dark ink so that she couldn't vote twice.

These young organizers worked hard to ensure a fraud-free election!

Here Chely shows off her voter ID card and her blue finger.

She has been proudly telling folks that she voted for 

Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú.