All Peruvian citizens over the age of 18 are automatically registered to vote. Voting is compulsory until you are 70 years old, and if you do not vote you will pay a fine. There's a large voter turnout in Peru! Wherever you go, you actually hear people talking about the candidates. Kiko says that since people have to vote, they feel they might as well be informed. Election day is on a Sunday so most people won't have to miss any work. There aren't as many polling places as in the states, so you must travel a greater distance to your voting location, and with everyone on the road either going to vote or coming back from voting, the traffic is crazy! As part of my Peruvian adventure, Kiko wanted me to join him in this most patriotic of actions - by bike. For an hour we rode the many miles to Ricardo Palma University, dodging cars, taxis, motorcycles, buses and pedestrians as we pedaled toward our destination. I was happy to arrive at the university without being hit by a bus, but then we had to maneuver our way around the carnival of ice cream carts, cotton candy vendors and little kids. Once inside the iron gates, we locked up our bikes and got directions to the classroom where Kiko's polling place was located. We got directions from a soldier with an AK47! There were only a few soldiers, and they weren't even needed. The throngs of voters and their children (and the occasional out-of-place American) were very calm and orderly.
We found Kiko's classroom, there was no line so he walked right in and showed them his ID card. The Peruvian ID card is like a driver's license/social security card/passport, and Peruvians always keep this card with them as soon as they turn 18. This National Identity Document is very important, it affirms that you are a citizen, and it is used to conduct all types of business. Once Kiko proved his identity, he was allowed to vote, and was rewarded with the blue middle finger. When you vote, you place your index finger on an ink pad to make your fingerprint on the roster next to your name. Then, instead of giving you a sticker that says "I voted" like we get in America, you place your middle finger into a bottle of blue ink. Sometimes the polling worker gets excited and dips your finger into the ink for you, way down into the bottle so that your fingernail is a solid blue until it grows out. Regardless, your blue middle finger tells the world that you performed your duty. Everyone knows who voted and the few that didn't might face consequences in addition to the monetary fine. For example, if you want a loan and the bank sees your clean middle finger you probably won't get it. Even after your fingernail has grown out, your voting record is easily accessible. They do give you a sticker when you vote, but it's placed on your Identity Document instead of your shirt, so there is a permanent record of your good citizenship in case you forget.
Kiko came out of the classroom and we were done. It was a very smooth process, which surprised me because of all the havoc going on outside the iron gates. And most everyone in the entire country was doing the same thing between the hours of 8 and 4. We stopped at Starbucks to wait for traffic to die down (there's one on every corner, just like home!) and as we made our way back we saw the campaign signs already being removed. However, the dry law was still in place until Monday at noon. Before an election in Peru, there is no alcohol sold in stores or restaurants from Friday until Monday. This must be why there were minimal soldiers at the polling venue - no wild, drunken voters to deal with!
A country with nearly 100% voter turnout, campaign signs are removed immediately after the election, and nobody protests four days of sobriety. Take note, America!
I remember this when I was there! Craziness!
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