If the polling tea leaves hold true, Socialist Francois Hollande will replace Nicolas Sarkozy as president of France next month. While a turn to the left is depressing, it is always interesting to look at elections in other countries. The French take politics more seriously than Americans, and their turnout percentages are considerably higher. France has significant expat communities and they share their stay-at-home compatriots’ interest in the proceedings. In fact, the community is so large in New York that the French government has made arrangements for a special polling place in Brooklyn, which elimnates the need for citizens to go to the French consulate to make their choice.

The video below is in French, but the visuals are clear. Voters know they have a stake in their country, and take the trouble to show up.