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.
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| 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.
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