In front of the Parisian polling stations, on this Sunday - finally - sunny, we talk more about the coronavirus than the assessment of Anne Hidalgo or the program of Rachida Dati. The surrealist electoral atmosphere, it must be said, has something to confuse the minds who conscientiously line up in front of the desks where the ballots await them.
"A little gel, please!" », Repeats a masked volunteer to each newcomer, rue Truffaut. In this 17th century office, you have to show white legs ... and stretch it out so that it can pour a few drops of hydroalcoholic gel. "Like that, people do not have to touch the bottle," says the president of the office, initiator of this "clean hands" operation. She also stuck on the tape floor to help voters stay within safe distances.
Masks, gel, floor marking, disposable pens ... Parisian voters will no doubt remember this extraordinary day, marked by record abstention, for a long time. Ingrid and John, a Batignolles couple, debated before deciding. After a good morning and a quiet brunch, she managed to convince him to vote before going for a walk in the sun. " I hesitated. I did not want to queue with people but there is no one there, "she admits, reassured.
"A lot of people ask us if there will be a second round"
In the courtyard of the Diderot school (12th century), the two offices had to open 10 minutes late, due to a lack of assessors. For Elodie, who arrives there at 3 p.m., “the question did not arise. No worries if we make responsible gestures, that we remain calm ”, assures the young woman of 36 years who pushed her mother, rather reluctant, to accompany her. “I thought that Emmanuel Macron was going to postpone, it is incoherent with the closing of bars, restaurants.
A graying 50-year-old then enters the office, puts on two latex gloves and advances to draw his ballots. "People take the envelope with their fingertips," smiles Madina, a young volunteer, mimicking the gesture. "A lady yelled at us because we didn't give her a mask! Laughs another volunteer. Her neighbor, a scarf in front of her mouth, shoots a granny with her eyes who has just seized a bulletin ... then put it down. “A lot of people ask us if there will be a second round. We say we don't know, ”blows another volunteer.
In front of the town hall of the 4th arrondissement, Hélène, 80, takes a snack on a bench, satisfied with having discharged her civic duty in the morning. "We owe a lot to the mayors, we had to vote," she explains. Inside, the two assessors who surround the president of the office each wear a white mask. We saw fewer people pass than usual but “no dizzying fall” either. "No one came in a spacesuit," smiles an assessor. In any case, this office did not lack volunteers. His argument was even found to convince the reluctant: "We told people: the restaurants are closed, so you can come and strip! "
"Everyone touches the plastic ruler ..."
In the 19th century, rue Rampal, the mobilized workers of the day did not touch identity documents but did not wear plastic gloves. "It is useless because it would not prevent me from touching my face. I prefer to wash my hands every quarter of an hour, ”she explains, not pointing to a children's sink at the back of the gymnasium. In the eleventh, rue Alphonse Baudin, a few meters from the former Charlie Hebdo premises where the 2015 killing takes place, almost everyone is masked. "I took my own pen but everyone touches the plastic strip with which we sign the register ...", sighs a voter in his thirties.
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Outside, on Stéphanie's arm, Colette, 89, takes a short break before entering to vote. “I'm here for her because Colette fought for women to have the right to vote. But I find it unacceptable that the elections were maintained while the restaurants were closed. Many people are not going to come, “annoys the restaurateur. Despite her neighbor's anger, Colette cannot hide her big smile.
VIDEO. Municipal in Paris: "We should have postponed the elections"