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）
A: Several Japanese and South Korean acts, such as BigBang, are participating in this year’s Coachella Music Festival. Have any Mando-pop singers ever performed at Coachella? B: Yup, K-pop group GOT7’s Hong Kong member Jackson Wang, and Taiwanese band Sunset Rollercoaster, which primarily performs in English, attended the festival before. A: It’s a pity that we didn’t fly to Coachella. But in fact, Taipei has also gradually become an Asian music hub in recent years. B: That’s true. K-pop sensation Twice just held three concerts at the Taipei Dome, followed by Hong Kong singer G.E.M., who is going
Concertgoers know the rush all too well — the moment the first notes play, your heart races, and nothing else seems to matter. For many, the excitement doesn’t end when the lights come back on. Some fans try to relive the performance by listening to the same songs for days afterward. __1__ A few days after an amazing show, they begin to feel unexpectedly low. Psychologists have coined a term for this phenomenon: “post-concert depression,” or “PCD.” PCD is primarily related to hormone levels. When you’re at a concert, the excitement causes your brain to release feel-good chemicals like
A new study suggests that chimpanzees can weigh evidence and make rational judgments. In the experiment, researchers placed two boxes in front of the chimpanzees. One box was set up to give strong evidence, such as letting the chimpanzees actually see food inside. The other was designed to provide weak evidence, like producing a rattling sound when it was shaken. The chimps consistently chose the box with strong evidence, even when the weaker clue appeared first. This indicated that they were not fooled by the order of presentation. In another trial where no strong evidence was available, the chimps
1. 明天她將談法國環境保護的情形。 ˇ Tomorrow she will speak on environmental protection in France. χ Tomorrow she will speak environmental protection in France. 註︰speak 作「談論」解時，是不及物動詞，按照不同的意義，後面接 on, of 或 about。一般說 to speak on a subject ( / a point); to speak of / about a person or thing; to speak to / with a person。 在下列句中，speak 當及物動詞用： His father can speak English, French and German. He is speaking the truth.（他說的是真話。） 2. 我們不應瞧不起經濟弱勢者。 ˇ We should not look down on/upon those who are financially weak. χ We should not look down those who are financially weak. 註︰look down on 是慣用語，用 on 或 upon 均可，但決不可省去。 3. 請不要打擾我工作。 ˇ Don’t interfere with my work. χ Don’t
RSS