Election 2015

I've just been to cast my vote at the General Election here in the UK. My locality was also holding elections for the borough council and the parish council (here, parish is nothing like parish back home; it is a local government thing)
To be honest, I hadn't given it much thought. Of course, I knew about the General Election. After six weeks of intensive electoral campaigning I'd have to be brain-dead, not to know.
I was well aware of all the parties, had heard their manifesto sound bites, and yes, I have my personal opinions about things. So in all honesty, it was not lack of interest on my part. When you live in a country with population of more than 64 million, though, you do get a feeling of 'What difference can I make?'
But a vote is a vote, even if democracy means that the choice is not always my choice. Like most Maltese people my age, I grew up hearing "Il-vot hu dritt u dover"(Your vote is your right and your duty) and "Kull vot jghodd" (Every vote counts). Hearing this mantra repeated on various bulletins over the past few days was a bit of a throwback to the Eighties for me.
So, just before going to pick up the kids from school at 3.15pm, I trotted off to my polling station to do my duty and exercise my right. Not knowing what to expect, I left thirty minutes earlier than I usually do.
And guess what?
It was laugably simple and straightforward. No parking restrictions. No spray-painted markings on the ground. No police officers milling around to maintain order. No queuing outside the "kamra tal-votazzjoni". No stamping or marking of the voting documents in quadruplicate. No ridiculous curtain to draw behind you when you vote.
We had voting for three separate elections going on in my polling station today, and there were less than a dozen officials. Saving resources, time, money and energy. And by the way, there was no disposable, laminated voting document valid only for today... If your name is on the register you can vote; simple as that.
Malta could take a leaf out of this book, methinks. We might save ourselves some badly-needed cash.