Working the Election

I had the privilege of working at my local polling place this election.  I have to say it was an incredible experience.  Poll workers take a  90 minute classroom class unless they have a special job then they take more, also take a 2 hour online class.  Then the night before the election they set up the facility.  The day of the election they are there at 5:30 am and get 2, 45 minute, breaks and are not done until 10 pm the night of the election.  We get paid anything from $0 to $150 depending on our job.  I am proud and blessed to be a part of a nation that every citizen has the right to vote (with a few exceptions), BUT I after working the polls I had to wonder why there isn’t some kind of test a person must take before they get to use the privilege of voting. 

We had one man furious; I mean red in the face angry that we had our Primary Election in June.  “We are voting for President how much more Important can it get!  This should be the Primary”.  How do you explain to someone in the short time we have that US’s Primary election is for each party (Democrats and Republicans) to decide who will run for president? 

One lady came in with her husband’s and her ballots for this election and the Primary election confused as to why the names were different and if we voted in June why did we need to do it again?  Did she vote in June?  Why couldn’t we tell her?  She was so confused and upset it was hard not to laugh, we tried to help her understand but how do you give civics lessons at a polling place?

We had a lot of citizens angry that we do not ask for Identification.  Some were polite and showed it as their way of quietly protesting, Thank You.  Others angry because they could give us any name and address and if it was on our roster we would let them vote.   Voter ID laws and if they are constitutional have been all over the news lately.  Many states are in lawsuits because some citizens believe it is unfair and unconstitutional. As a Poll Worker I can’t even discuss the issues with you.  I had one friend come in and ask me my opinion and when we said I couldn’t give it I walked 100 feet away from our polling place and told him it was the one issue I didn’t vote on because I saw bad on both sides.   

I met the man across the street who’s dogs keep getting out and got his phone number so I can call next time they are out, and another man with a boy Stick Boy’s age that lives walking distance from me.  The neighbor who was DWI Horse came to vote bedecked in jewelry, cowboy hat, and jeans that looked like his horse had drug him through the dirt.  One husband and wife got into an argument about how to vote.  Someone complained that we were looking at the ballots as we slid them in the box. 

This year was the first year my teen daughter was able to vote.  My son reminded me that I will have a child voting for their first presidential election for the next 3 time we vote for president.  Hopefully they will show up at their polls knowing what election they are voting for, why they are voting, and appreciative of their civic duty.