YUGOSLAVIA: The Rubber Ballot

Because so many of its citizens could not read or write, prewar Yugoslavia adopted the rubber ballot. Under this system, in full view of election officials, the voter holds a little rubber ball in his fist, dips his fist into all the ballot boxes, drops the ball where he chooses, finally shows his empty fist.

Tito's Yugoslavia has kept the rubber ballot—with one significant change. Formerly, soft rubber balls were used; since they made no sound, it was a true variation of the secret ballot. Now, hard rubber balls are used; though they drop noiselessly, rumor has spread among Yugoslavs that they fall with a distinct "plop!", and that anyone who does not choose the Titoist list proclaims himself as publicly as a medieval leper with a bell.

Last week Tito's Yugoslavia dropped some 9,000,000 rubber balls in a standard Communist-style election. There was only one list of candidates—the Communist-led "People's Front." Voters, however, could drop their ballots into either a "yes" or a "no" box. To nobody's surprise, more than 95% plopped in favor of Tito's slate.

The smartly uniformed dictator had campaigned with speech and dance (see cut). With him as he cast his own vote in Belgrade was Petar Stambolic, President of Serbia. Tito voted first, dipping his fist into both boxes, then holding up his open palm. But when Stambolic put his hand in the "no" box, he let go the rubber ballot. There was momentary horror, then laughter as Stambolic sputtered that he had made a mistake. "Petar," said Tito, "you are finished." But he said it with a grin, and waited with a grin while Stambolic, with official permission, fished out his vote and plopped it into the "yes" box.