For the Norwegian postal service, every vote counts and the mail must go through.
So it spent around 15,000 kroner (NT$88,489) rushing a single wayward absentee ballot by airliners and chartered helicopter to the right polling station before it closed in local elections earlier this month.
"This was a very unique case," Kjell Rakkenes, spokesman for Norway Post, said by telephone. "We believe strongly that every vote should count, and it's even more important in local democracy."
PHOTO: AFP
The ballot was mailed from the western Norwegian town of Sandane, addressed to Stryn, the voter's hometown of 6,700 people, about 80km away.
However, it was discovered on election day by postal officials in the wrong town, Trondheim, too late to forward it through the regular mail.
So the postal service instructed the EM Budbil courier service to get the ballot to Stryn before the polls closed at 8pm. The courier did just that, using airliners and a helicopter and making the national news.
The ballot was first flown about 360km south to Oslo, then about 300km northwest to the town of Foerde, and then the remaining 55km northeast to Stryn by chartered helicopter.
The mayor of Stryn, Nils Stoeyva, was waiting for the ballot when the helicopter landed at the local stadium with 25 minutes to spare.
Courier Even Nordstroem, of EM Budbil, was quoted as telling the local Fjordingen newspaper that "the bill will be about 15,000 kroner (NT$88,489)."
There was another price for protecting one Norwegian's right to vote. Nordstroem was so busy delivering the ballot, he didn't have time to vote. (AP)
對挪威郵政系統來說，每張選票都很重要並且郵件必須確實送達。
因此，挪威郵政當局這個月初，花費了一萬五千克羅納（約新台幣八萬八千四百八十九元），租用大型客機及直昇機，將一張誤寄的不在籍選票，在當地選舉投票結束前緊急送往正確的投票所。
「這是一件很不尋常的案例，」挪威郵政發言人Kjell Rakkenes透過電話表示，「我們堅信每張選票都得被計算到，而且對於當地民主更是重要。」
這張選票從挪威西部的桑納訥鎮寄出，原本要寄到約八十公里外投票者的家鄉史特林鎮，當地人口六千七百人。
然而，郵政官員在選舉當天發現，這張選票誤寄到特隆赫姆鎮，如果用平信方式轉寄，則無法按時送達。
因此當地的郵局委託一家名叫EM Budbil的快遞公司，將選票趕在晚上八點計票結束前送達史特林鎮。這家快遞公司用了大型客機和直昇機就只為了送這張選票，也因此上了全國新聞。
這張選票一開始先往南飛了約三百六十公里到奧斯陸，然後往西北方飛了三百公里左右到福爾德鎮，最後以直昇機包機方式往東北方飛了五十五公里到史特林鎮。
直昇機最後在開票前二十五分鐘抵達史特林鎮的體育場，鎮長Nils Stoeyva當時正在等候那張選票。
EM Budbil快遞公司的人員Even Nordstroem對當地報紙《Fjordingen》說：「帳單費用大約是一萬五千克羅納（新台幣八萬八千四百八十九元）。」
為了保障一名挪威民眾投票的權利，還有另一個代價要付。快遞員Nordstroem因為忙於送選票而沒有時間去投票。
（美聯社／翻譯：楊鴻泰）
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