Today was another day of ‘dropping lit’ – this time myself and an attorney from Manhattan were tasked with hanging signs on doorknobs in a typical spread-out suburban community in Bucks County PA. The signs were specific to the polling place for each address, and also listed what voters needed to bring and polling hours. The signs, 146 to be exact, and the combination of big lawns, a highly targeted list of addresses, and a desire to not walk on lawns made for about seven miles of trudging around cul de sacs and wyndy roades (that’s how they spell in parts of Bucks). Spoke to several potential voters, including one irate McCain supporter who was apparently incensed at the idea that people would actually walk thru his neighborhood in an effort to encourage his neighbors to vote.
Truth be told, there were also two Obama supporters who seemed to have had just about enough of door-to-door canvassers…
Spent several hours this evening (thankfully sitting down) getting trained to be a poll observer. I’ll be working to help voters figure out where to stand in line, how to make sure each vote counts, and watching for any attempts at voter suppression. I can honestly saw I know way way more about the Danaher voting machine now then I thought needed knowing.
It is not exactly a triumph of technology – the machine uses a printed piece of paper that overlays rows of buttons which the erstwhile voter has to press – through the paper – to indicate his/her choices, and then confirm the vote by pressing another button.
like this…
There are counters, and accumulators, and figures that have to be cross checked against each other. And it seems these triumphs of American ingenuity break down fairly regularly, which then results in voters filing out paper ballots. Unfortunately, through the wisdom of the election officials in Bucks, each polling place will only have fifty (50) paper ballots on hand. Not to worry, they have another fifty for each polling place secured in an undisclosed location, which they will transport to any affected polling place pdq. This in a county where turnout is expected to top 75% of eligible voters, a county that is also deemed to be one of the key counties in the nation.
Tell me again, how is it that we have the gall to send people to oversee other countries’ elections to make sure they are fair?
I learned a lot of other interesting stuff about subtle means of voter suppression, how vote tabulation works, appellate court rulings on voter identification, and what defines ‘electioneering’ and why you can’t do it within ten feet of a polling place (definition of where that ten feet is measured from to be determined arbitrarily by the boss of each polling place.)
For now, I’m just thankful this only comes every four years. And after fourteen hours at my assigned polling place tomorrow, I’ll likely be even more thankful.
Nov
3
Way to go Joe! More people should get involved in the process…it is a wonderful, albeit overwhelming undertaking…managing the voting process. My two girls and I went canvassing about 4 weeks ago…it is really interesting to see the campaign offices all humming and buzzing with activity.
Joe, you are inspiring me to get off my rear and become part of the process. My family and I have been encouraging or kids, their spouses and everyone we speak to that this process is what people died for and are dying for today. These are freedoms that we all enjoy and speaking out through our vote is one of them. I need to volunteer more and urge everyone one else to do the same. Thanks for pounding the streets.