Decisions are made by those who show up

I started re-watching The West Wing a week or so before the election. I, like many of you, was feeling a little bit all over the place in the lead up to November 3. The show aired on NBC from 1999-2006, and focused on the fictional presidency of Democrat Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) and the staff of the West Wing. It foreshadowed the Obama presidency in many ways, and showed DC in all its glory and weirdness. I loved the show when it originally aired, although I don't remember seasons six and seven as well as I remember the first four seasons. I haven't watched the entire series since it originally aired. 

It's odd to watch it now. In the world of The West Wing, Democrats and Republicans get along in the big picture of things. Divisions exist, but the divisive political world we live in today is not the norm. I always thought of The West Wing as a presidential fairy tale; it showed us both the best and the worst of people and there was always a lesson to be learned. The show is idealistic on many levels, and a little bro-y, but it's set in peak DC bro years, so no one should be surprised by the bro-iness. There's something magical about the way it depicts our country and the office of the President. It also makes me so curious about many things. I had to look up our current Poet Laureate, and am constantly looking up historical references and stories. The show gives me hope for the future, something I've struggled with, particularly since March.

The last four years have made me think about the country, democracy, and patriotism more than I normally do. I mean, I think about these things a lot, but I haven't spent this much time in a concentrated period of time doing so. Before the Trump years, I don't think I thought about the President as much as I do today. I'd like to return to a time when I don't think about the President this often. This isn't to say I won't do my part to hold any President accountable for his/her actions; I just don't want to do it every day. My experience as an Election Officer was eye-opening in a lot of ways. Americans, as a whole, don't understand how elections work. I've known this for years, but it seems like more people are waking up to the fact that we've created a system that is flawed and is rife with voter suppression. From registration deadlines and rules to ID laws to redistricting to the timeline for certifying election results, Americans are horribly under educated. And that's exactly what some people want. If you ever question whether your vote matters, remember that people wouldn't work so hard to keep you from voting or to keep your vote from being counted if it didn't matter. 

Voting is a type of power. That's why it's so important to actually get out and vote. One of the things I realized as I was working on Election Day is that it also creates a world of perceived power. During the day, I worked with some wonderful volunteers from both parties. Voting precincts are staffed by members of both parties, as well as independents and those who don't align with party affiliations. This is supposed to create a safe and equal voting experience. I got the sense that most people, especially the other first timers, had signed up for reasons similar to mine. They wanted to make sure people could safely and securely vote in person, and they wanted to help their community. Like me, most of the group was working at their polling precinct, so helping their actual neighbors. 

There was, however, one person who I couldn't figure out at first. Why was this person, a white man (older than me, but younger than my dad), volunteering? He seemed so anti-everything: he didn't want to wear a mask even though all officers were required to (he was the subject of a voter complaint about this). Any problem with an ID or a voter's status couldn't be solved, except that it could be. A curbside voter looked "too young" to really qualify (except the person was unable to walk without assistance, but sure only old people need help). At one point, he joked about gun ownership with me. While none of his actions were overtly aggressive, he was clearly trying to make a statement. He was trying to show his power, or at least the power he perceived he had. 

Some of you may think I'm overreacting, but I've been listening to men explain things to me my whole life. This was someone who didn't like that I knew the rules as well or better than him. Someone who didn't care for a woman (a voter) telling him to put his mask on before helping her. Someone who didn't care about social distancing rules. Someone who made a "joke" about gun ownership while checking the ID of Latino man and then questioning whether the man's ID and address were valid. This was someone who didn't care about fair elections or whether every vote got counted. He was determined to make others feel small and unimportant. 

As we wait for the 45 to acknowledge that he lost, I've been thinking about this man. I'll probably never see him again; he doesn't live in my precinct but was assigned to it this year because we needed people. I'll never see him again, but I'll "see" him every time the 45 goes on and on about nonexistent voter fraud or Moscow Mitch sits on a stimulus bill that could actually help people. I'll see him every time a Trump supporter spouts some cult-ish sounding sound bite about election results or that COVID is a hoax, despite the virus not going away and the numbers of sick and dying continue to increase. Just thinking about how many times a day I'll see this man is exhausting. 

But there is another side to this. The last four years, and this particular election, have shown us how important it is to vote and to be heard. It's shown us the difference voter education makes (let's talk about the amazing Stacey Abrams and Georgia) and that our vote does matter. We have a long way to go to fix the election system in the US (among other things), but this election showed us what can be done. This is why watching The West Wing has been so calming these last few weeks; it's about possibility and the power of the people. As President Bartlet reminds us, "Decisions are made by those who show up." Elections aren't the end of something, but the beginning of the next thing. And we all need to show up for whatever comes next. 

Reminder: Show your good citizenry! Check out this post for the details of my Be a Good Citizen Project. Use this link to complete a short questionnaire on your good citizen-ing. The deadline for submissions has been extended until December 1. I'm like the Oprah of rewarding good citizenship: "You get a piece of original art! And you get a piece of original art.

I gave her my vote, and she gave me a pen*

The first time I voted in a Presidential Election was in 2000. I voted for Al Gore, and I don't recall receiving an "I Voted" sticker. I don't think that was a thing in 2000, but I could be wrong. I remember watching the returns that night. We weren't at the point we are today where we expect results instantly. We seemed, as a collective, to understand the results would come when they were completely counted. Of course, the 2000 election was a disaster, and it brought on, well a lot of things. I volunteered for my first presidential campaign in 2004 because of the 2000 election. John Kerry ran that year. It was one of the most boring campaigns I have ever worked for, but I still did my part. Since then, I've worked on way more exciting campaigns and some relatively tame ones. Regardless, I love elections and I love working on campaigns. 

As I write this, we don't know who won the election. Several states are still too close to call, and mail-in ballots are still being counted. We may not know for many more days. That's how this is all supposed to work. I know there are people, and when I say people, I mean the current president, who don't believe this. A candidate cannot declare they won. That's not how this works. For once, we need to curb our desire for instant gratification and be patient. I know it sucks, but it's reality. 

I spent Election Day working as an Election Officer for my county. Given the year we've had, I made the decision to volunteer my time making sure that my fellow county residents' right to vote was protected rather than volunteering for a specific campaign or party. Voting is legitimately one of my favorite things. I'm not suggesting that our voting system is perfect, but I believe in the power of voting. It, along with protesting and contacting your elected officials, are the big three of how we exercise our rights and we participate in democracy. Election officers and poll workers are the people who make elections work. They are the people who keep the act of voting safe. I'm probably not alone in thinking I haven't really done much in these last several months. Maybe I donated money to some groups and candidates. Maybe I made 30 Screams to reward people for being good citizens. I've done things, but I feel like I should be doing more. Being an Election Officer was my way of doing that. Election workers are literally your neighbors. One of my fellow officers lives across the street from me. I saw at least three people from my neighborhood too; I don't know them, but I see them walking their dogs so I "know" them. That's one of the cool things about being an election worker; you're helping in your actual community. I really love that. It's direct and it feels useful.

 Yesterday was long, interesting, and reminded me why I love voting and elections. I don't know how much people know about what goes on during the day at a polling location, but it's a lot. Election officers are responsible for setting up voting machines, checking in voters, resolving issues, officially sending results to the election office, and being nice to people for hours on end. The pandemic has added additional safety protocols and social distancing. It's humbling how much trust others put into people to make sure their vote counts. We have to remember that all the time. This is what we will continue to fight for; protecting voting, making sure people can vote and their vote gets counted. 

My day in one photo

Most of my day was spent working as a greeter, helping with curbside voting, and explaining that we didn't have "I Voted" stickers this year, but we did have "I Voted" pens. Basically, my job consisted of saying hello, directing people to stand on the second blue X on the floor, and then telling them which poll book station to go to. I would occasionally be asked a question about ID requirements or about the ballot (which I couldn't really respond to unless if was a question about if there was a second side to the ballot). I enjoyed curbside voting more than I thought I would. I got to help someone with a provisional ballot, helped a lady with an ancient driver's license, and got the nicest thank you from a man who seemed so nervous about voting. He was concerned about his ID, which was expired. I explained how the ID laws work, and I could just see the worry leave his face. That made my day. 

My absolute favorite part of the day was cheering for first time voters. I didn't count how many we had, but it was a pretty good number, and it included both young voters and older voters who registered for the first time. The reactions to our cheers ranged from shy embarrassment to excitement to pride. I don't remember if someone cheered for me when I voted for Al Gore in 2000, but I'm glad I could got to cheer on all of these first time voters. 

We may not know who won for days or even weeks. It's stressful. It's not fun. People are going to say and do stupid things (I'm looking at you, protesters in Michigan shouting "end the vote counting"). There's nothing I can say that will change that or stop someone from being stupid. I hope this process moves as quickly as is fair and reasonable. I hope that people will see the power of voting. No one would work this hard to stop people from voting if it didn't matter. 

I have more to share about my experience as an Election Officer, but today isn't really the day for it. Today, I want to simply enjoy the fact that I yesterday I watched a young woman walk with more purpose than I have ever walked with, to the check-in table, give her ID, and cast her first vote in a presidential election. I need that to be the image and memory that gets me through whatever is coming. 

*One of my favorite movies is Say Anything, and the line "I gave her my heart, and she gave me a pen" guts me every single time I watch it. For whatever reason, giving people "I Voted" pens made me feel like Diane Cort over and over again yesterday. No one wants an "I Voted" pen. 

Reminder: Show your good citizenry! Check out this post for the details of my Be a Good Citizen Project. Use this link to complete a short questionnaire on your good citizen-ing. The deadline for submissions has been extended until December 1. I'm like the Oprah of rewarding good citizenship: "You get a piece of original art! And you get a piece of original art.