Election Season!!

Did you know there is another election happening this November? To be exact, the Nicaraguan election is happening this Sunday, November 6th! This past week has been "silent week". One week before the election no rallies, no advertisements, no real campaign activities can occur. What a concept!

Tomorrow Nicaraguans will go to their polling stations to  cast their ballots. The election outcome seems to already be known due to a couple of reasons. The popularity of the incumbent president, Daniel Ortega and his running mate (his wife!) and recent polling show that Daniel Ortega will win the presidency again. Also, the factious nature of the opposition has led to a split in votes across the country. However, we will know the official results of Monday morning! Another recent news story is that the government approved an outside organization to come in to observe the elections this weekend, quieting SOME of the protests against a "rigged" election. It's been interesting to compare and contrast election season here in Nicaragua with what is happening in the states. Turns out politics just aren't perfect anywhere...and no matter where you are, everyone has an opinion :)

The 2016 presidential ballot

The front runner for president, Daniel Ortega, and his wife and running mate, Rosario Murrillo

Here are several articles about the elections tomorrow and the campaign season. I tried to find a good mix of different opinions and view points, many U.S. sources seem to have a negative view of these elections, mostly due to a deep and rocky history that you should read about someday if you have time. And as you can see, it was difficult to find sources reporting on the opposition parties. I know it's a lot of articles...but select a few to read just to get an idea of what is happening in the country. I will post results next week when they come in, as well as some follow-up articles.

Here's to a peaceful election day on Sunday in Nicaragua and on Tuesday in the U.S.A....

https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/32941629/survey-gives-ortega-big-lead-ahead-of-nicaragua-vote/#page1

https://thinkprogress.org/9-elections-world-423ae8df7e21#.ghibm2tr4
(I like this article because it reminds me that there is more than just 1 election happening this month...)

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/nicaragua-president-daniel-ortega-picks-wife-his-running-mate-n676831

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nicaragua-election-idUSKBN12W4TX

http://plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id=5376&SEO=social-sectors-calls-to-respect-electoral-results-in-nicaragua

http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id=5337&SEO=nicaragua-enters-reflection-period-before-elections

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/04/nicaraguas-first-couple-daniel-ortega-tighten-grip-power-election-win

http://afgj.org/nicanotes15

http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/20348/how-ortega-took-the-suspense-out-of-nicaragua-s-presidential-election

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/11/four-things-you-should-know-about-the-other-election-this-week/

http://www.latina.com/lifestyle/politics/rosario-murillo-facts-bio

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/an-even-more-depressing-election-than-our-own/2016/11/03/9c2b1f7e-a05d-11e6-8832-23a007c77bb4_story.html

http://fusion.net/story/366533/nicaragua-election-daniel-ortega-reelection/

http://qcostarica.com/a-real-life-house-of-cards-in-nicaragua/