Anyone here a poll worker?

[Lost-in-FL]

Have you had an active role in an election besides voting?

[LincolnMcGrath]

1. Yep

[NMDemDist2]

2. I signed up when I registered here in NM. I am happy to finally have

the time to do it

[Lost-in-FL]

5. I just recently

changed my party affiliation to Democrat (from Independent) and also to volunteer. I don't like the idea of Canvassing (too shy for that) so I wanted to help at the polls (not the poles .:spank: but polls).

[jeff30997]

3. Well I know this girl who can work a poll wer well.:)

[Lost-in-FL]

4. LOL!!

:spank:

[Monkeyman]

6. yep

[reprat]

7. Poll Workers

Hey, Lost-In-Fl,
Although I've never been a poll worker, I am a former two-term
Democratic legislator from NH and a former two-term Town
Selectman so have quite alot of knowledge with the process

[NMDemDist2]

10. welcome to DU reprat!

:hi:

[lonehalf]

22. I am a poll worker.

Setting up tomorrow - runoff election is Tuesday the 8th in Georgia.

I am a progressive (very) Democrat and I hate to say it, but the most abusive people are Democrats.

When they complain about the Diebold machines we tell them that they were installed by the Roy Barns administration and that the new computers that we use to confirm registration were advocated by Cathy Cox, the Democratic Secretary of State, they almost go crazy.

I've been called a liar so many times I can't remember.

But the great majority people, both Republicans and Democrats, are very nice.

By the way, turnout for my precinct was 53% in the Primary.

571 Republicans and 300 Democrats

This part of Georgia is VERY Republican but this time Democratic turnout was much higher than usual. In the 2004 General Election there were only 55 Democrats who voted (If I remember correctly).

[femmedem]

24. That's interesting news about the high Dem turnout.

I think that nationally, that bodes well for November.

[jwirr]

8. I am going work as an election judge.

[Virginian]

9. Me too

Only we call them election officers here. We make sure that the process runs according to the rules. We have people from both major parties so that we can keep one another honest.

I worked at the polls for the first time in 2000. I highly recommend it. We can't hear newscasts while we are helping people vote so we are not aware of any trends in the exit polls; we only know what is happening at our own precinct. We are the first to know who won our precinct and usually the last to know who won the election.

Poll watchers are party partisans who sit away from but close enough to the pollbooks to hear the names of the voters and check those names against the list of people their respective parties think will vote their way. We could possibly get our own precinct estimate by asking each watcher how many "hits" they have had.

It is a long day and we cannot leave the polls for anything except a bathroom break. The pay is practically nothing, but it is worth it because we know our precinct is honest.

[Lost-in-FL]

12. Thank you for such great input.

I have no idea how things work for poll volunteers.


Peace.

[Igel]

11. Yep.

Rochester, NY, for a few elections.

Numerous stories. All stupid. Some significant (for example when a neighboring polling table had a mismatch between voter count and ballot count on their lever machines--half a dozen extra "ballots" cast; they probably were cast, a ruckus ensured total confusion for a little while and their machines were unmonitored as they tried to quell their out-of-control pollworker).

[Virginian]

14. A similar mismatch happened my first time.

In 2000, nearly everyone working in my precinct was a first timer. The machines were arranged in groups of three with two people responsible for them. When more than one person has responsibility, either no one takes responsibility or both take responsibility for the same things.

To activate the machines, there was a button in the back that we would push for each voter. The light would go off when the machine was activated and come back on when the vote was cast. The center machine in the threesome grouping would get activated by one officer for the voter and if the voter lingered after casting the ballot, the other officer would think the voter was waiting for the machine to be activated and helpfully push the button. The voter would see the lights flashing again and think the vote hadn't registered and vote again. At least, that is how I hope those overvotes happened -- inexperienced election officers making honest mistakes.

We had over 60 more votes than voters. The Bush v. Gore part of that election was closer than our number of overvotes. The overvotes may have flipped our precinct from the Gore column to the Bush column.

During the next four years, the population increased so much that the precinct split into two. In 2004, we were located across the hall from one another. There was a very heavy early turnout. Around 10:30 am, we had nearly a thousand people waiting to vote. Nearly half of them had already checked in and were waiting for a machine. Across the hall, the smaller precinct had the same number of machines, so their lines were shorter. I was so afraid my voters would see the shorter lines and go over there to vote -- that the smaller precinct would have overvotes and we would have undervotes. I was also afraid the voters would run out of time and have to get back to work after they had checked in and before they had voted. There was no way I could compare the pollbook numbers with the machine count numbers during the day, there were just too many people in line.
At the end of that election, one of my biggest thrills was when I was doing the math and discovered that we came out exactly even in our number of votes and voters. My other thrill was that Kerry won our precinct by over 58% and Bush got only 40% of the votes. With every election, that precinct seems to get bluer and bluer.

[Sooner75]

13. Democracy at the ground level

I have gotten much, much busier, so I have "retired" as an election judge, but I strongly encourage you DUers out there to get out there and experience that. The machinations of democracy are complex -- even mind boggling. The hanging chad thing in Florida in 2000 is an example of the neverending problem of accurately recording the intent of the voters. Democracy is a difficult process to impliment and, unfortunately, it's not that hard to skew it.

Working a polling place is basically a clerical job. It's not rocket science, but, like a retail store, you have to be prepared for a lot of different scenarios. You have to make sure that people who come to vote are qualified to do so -- either in the voter rolls or provisionally. Then, you have to help them record their vote -- and some people will need A LOT of help to do so. You have to be passionate about getting people voted. Democracy works best when everyone votes and everyone's vote is recorded accurately. Anyone who is trying to keep people from voting is basically demonstrating their distrust of the democratic process. As an election judge in Texas, you have the same power as a state judge on election day. You control the polling place -- inside and outside of the distance markers. You can have someone arrested if necessary.

And, of course, there is NO partisan politics INSIDE the polling place. I have assisted many voters who needed my help and showed them how to vote straight Republican. That was disappointing, but, as an election judge, I had to set aside my politics and be totally committed to get everyone voted with their choices accurately recorded.

[MaineDem]

20. Excellent description

We call them Ballot Clerks. I've been doing it for about 10 years.

We vote with paper ballots so the clerks are also the counters at the end of the day. In 2000 we were there until 4AM. And we're a small town.

[femmedem]

15. Yes, I've been a poll watcher.

Also a campaign manager.

We had runners pick up the poll watchers' lists of people who'd shown up to vote every hour, so we would know who we needed to call to Get Out The Vote.

[cmd]

16. I have been

This year I have another priority.

[globalvillage]

17. Poll watcher.

:hi:

[lonestarnot]

18. Sending in my card today!

[salin]

19. I have done poll work in many elections

am not able to do so in the current cycle, but intend to do so again in the future. I encourage anyone who can, to do so.

[Lorien]

21. Yes, poll watcher, driver, and I've distributed dem literature outside of

polling places. I always spend several hours a day working for the party for at least two months before each election-three if it's a presidential election.

[MaineDem]

23. Poll worker vs. Poll Watcher

Let me just reiterate that a poll watcher is a party observer, outside of the specific voting area, who is keeping track of who voted and the general conduct of the election. A volunteer, usually.

A poll worker is, in my state at least, a paid municipal employee who checks voters in and out, assists voters with the ballot (and machines if they are used), answers general questions, and counts, tabulates, or verifies the votes. In Maine we are required to have a Repiblican and a Democrat working in tandem. The pay isn't great but it's a small help for the long hours.

[Seedersandleechers]

25. Just got hired to be an election judge..

First time ever...

[Davis_X_Machina]

26. Yep.

One of the Dem poll wardens.

[heidiho]

27. Me, Me, Me . . .in Wisconsin

I signed up after the 200 election was stolen - I love it - I get to meet and to see lots of people. In Wisconsin, you can register at the polls and that is what I do.

I also park my car full of Democratic signs near the door (but within the regulation for signs). Just to give voters a little reminder when they go in . . .

[Sooner75]

28. Encouraging...

to see some of y'all steppin' up to part of the election process. It'll be educational, frustrating, amusing, boring, tiring, rewarding....and more.

Anyone who professes a belief that democracy is the most legitimate way to govern ought to consider working at a polling place. It's where democracy actually happens. You need to see it happening at close range throughout an election day.

[wyldwolf]

29. yes, I've been a poll manager.

[SCDem]

30. Yes

My first experience was this year's primary.

[theHandpuppet]

31. Yep

My partner and I have served as poll workers and intend to do so again come November.