I don’t have time to write much today – it’s Super Tuesday, and I’m working my local election precinct all day today. I have to be there by 5 am, and we don’t get out until all of the votes are accounted for and the numbers are reconciled after the polls close at 7 pm. After the polls close, we have to break down the voting equipment, reconcile all of the voting numbers (do the number of ballots we processed equal the number of ballots that are in our voting machines?), take down our signs, and put the furniture back in storage. This usually takes a little less than an hour. I’ll be home by 8 pm (my house is less than 10 minutes from the precinct where I work), and Tim has promised to have the wine chilled.
I’m one of those people that Republicans think are stealing elections or otherwise messing with things to make sure Trump loses. The only thing I have to say to them – and to you – is that if you want to be reassured about the security of our elections, sign up to be an election officer.
I just started doing this a few years ago, but I’m planning to participate as long as I can physically do it. It’s enjoyable to help people vote. I love it when we have “first-time voters.” They usually tell us when they check in, and we give them three cheers as they go vote. I love it when people bring their children in with them. They talk to their kids about the importance of voting and explain how the whole system works.
I love giving people their “I Voted” stickers. We have special “I Voted” stickers for the kids who accompany their parents, and you know how kids love stickers.
We don’t talk about our political preferences – at all – while we’re on the job on election day. Those of you who read my blog regularly know what my preferences are. The voters at my precinct don’t. We dress in neutral colors – not blue or red. I usually wear purple or green. We don’t answer any questions about what’s on the ballot – we have a demonstration table with sample ballots on it, and we hand those to voters who want them. Sometimes we’ll explain the process – why they’re voting here rather than the other place where they’re accustomed to voting, or why they have to tell us which party ballot they want for today’s election – but beyond that, candidate or party names don’t come into the discussion at all.
I have friends who work outside of the precinct in the Democratic Party tent. I know they’re there and they know I’m inside, but we don’t communicate on election day.
We’re not allowed to go out for lunch. The concern is that if we go out for lunch and get in an accident or something, the precinct will be one worker short for the rest of the day. I’m taking food and water for the day. We get regular breaks so we’re not going to starve. We’re discouraged from being on our phones, so we won’t know if there is turmoil surrounding this election in some place other than where we’re working. The reality is that we do go on our phones occasionally throughout the day, but we don’t talk about it in the precinct. Our job is to help people vote, not to influence the votes they cast.
We take a book to read because primary elections are often slow days. I have my Kindle fired up and full of books for tomorrow so I’ll be entertained for the day.
I often see neighbors in my precinct, although now that Virginia has a 45-day early voting period and no-excuse absentee and mail-in voting, the number of in-person voters is dramatically lower than it used to be.
Nationwide, there is more drama associated with election day than there needs to be. Voting is a simple but majestic process. If your state is one of the 16 states having primary elections today, go out and vote. Your country needs you.
I love your last few sentences where you note that voting is simple but a MAJESTIC process. Go Karen! I usually stand outside at the Democratic table, but not today.
Karen, a favorite thought I read that goes like this…..”Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness.” We need more people like you, too! 😎