Ballot Counting Table Under Bruges Floodlights

Flat municipal daylight washes over a long wooden table positioned beneath the harsh glare of government building floodlights in Groenerei, Bruges. White ballot papers stack in neat rows across the stone surface, their edges catching the stark overhead illumination. Wet paper posters rest on the metal barriers lining the perimeter, their ink slightly blurred by recent rain. The late summer air leaves a sheen on the wet cobblestones surrounding the setup. Behind the table, official signage displays Dutch text against the grey stone facade of the building. Shadows fall sharply across the papers, showing the geometric arrangement of the count sheets. One red pen rests near the corner of the stack.