Empty Dais at Lome Polling Station Dawn

Pale dawn light slips across the polished concrete floor of a gymnasium in Lome, illuminating a wooden dais prepared for civic proceedings. Name cards stand in neat rows before black microphones, their plastic bases reflecting the soft gray glow. Half-empty water cups sit beside the cards, condensation beading on the clear plastic surfaces from the humid wet season air. Lamplight settles in the deep corners where the high ceiling meets the walls, creating pools of warm yellow against the cool blue morning. Layers of folding chairs recede into the distance, their empty seats awaiting voters. The wood grain of the dais is visible under the fading artificial glow, at the base of the space in quiet anticipation before the day begins.