election smelection??

http://www.ladepeche.fr/resultat_elections/Esperaza-2008-m11129.html
has our election results. It was Jim who bigged this up; that in the results is a figure of 17.75% for spoilt papers. Baffled, we looked at other communes. The marks there were rarely over 4%. 17.75% is large enough to make a difference, so I decided to investigate.
That is to say, I asked Andrée.

Andrée said the figures were wrong.

Fair enough, makes sense, but on my walk I bumped in Fabien who is the reporter for La Depeche, where the figures come from. I showed him the printout I'd taken to Andrée and he said they were real, that they were accurate. It was big, sure, but in Esperaza there were people who liked to write **** the commune on their papers.

Extraordinary, given that the system accommodates protest votes admirably - P.P., for instance, a communist who is much liked locally, wasn't standing but still got 4 votes. Many names listed also weren't standing but got one vote - probably geezers who voted for themselves or their best mate.

I suppose that if you voted for Mickey Mouse his name would appear on the list.

I left Fabien looking thoughtful though. Yesterday I asked Philippe, another journalist, who shrugged and flickered an eyebrow several times. Today I will get to the Town Hall and ask them.

Oh, excitement apropos the new Mayor. Patrice stopped me in the street; he has a friend who wants to buy a bit of land that we own by the river. He wants to mine sand from the river-frontage bit of it. This land is actually let to Marcel who has goats and hens on it and gives us eggs and vedg in return, excellent system, and anyway, I said to Patrice, I didn't think he'd get planning permission. Its on a flood plain.
Thats OK, said Patrice; my friend knows the new mayor.
It was Ian who pointed out that the new mayor may well change the flood-plains hereabouts as there hasn't been a flood in 25-plus years. We could now be the owners of valuable building land - lets build a street of affordable housing by the river!