Wednesday, August 4, 2010

The Polls Are Closed!

27,000 polls opened at 6am this morning, and apparently a significant percentage of Kenya's 12.5 Million registered voters turned out to cast their votes.    Some Kenyans walked more than three hours each way to the nearest polling station in order to be sure their vote was included.   Lines were long, security was tight, and each voter left the polling station with a splash of indelible ink on their left hand to avoid double-voting.

After a peaceful day of voting, the polls closed at 6pm.   The local news channel is monitoring the results, and currently the tally sits at 66% Yes, 34% No, with only 1/3 of the polling stations tallied.

The election coverage involves no colorful, interactive maps or charts, and no "Situation Room."
That said, the coverage is being branded "Decision 2010."
Some things must just be universal. 

We're anxious to see where the final tally lands tomorrow.

If you're interested, the BBC has a good article on the election:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-10856761

Meanwhile, it's Wednesday night and our running water ration for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday has run out.
Awesome.
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3 comments:

  1. UnknownAugust 5, 2010 at 4:57 AM

    So interesting! Love the "Decision 2010" - there was a #kenyadecides on twitter yesterday too.

    Is there a backup plan for water? What do you do once the ration runs out?

    ReplyDelete
  2. SarabethAugust 5, 2010 at 5:06 AM

    Nope - no back up plan. We drink bottled water, and generally get more and more disgusted with our own filth the longer we go without showers.

    I miss being able to flush a toilet and wash my hands normally!

    Hopefully the water will come back on tonight or tomorrow morning.

    Basically - when you run out, you run out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. annieroAugust 5, 2010 at 8:26 PM

    Sarabeth and Emily,
    Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, but best of all your feelings about what you experience. I'll be reading all your blogs.
    Glad your Mom is doing well, Emily. It must have been so difficult to be so far away when your family is facing such trauma.
    Guess what Sarabeth? Cyndi & Rhonda are returning to Turkey in Sept. It's Cyndi's 4th trip in 9 years. I know its difficult to write after a long day, but please know we really appreciate it. Love and Peace, Annie

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