My experience as a poll worker

I'm sure you can imagine the stress of being a new poll worker for this election!The poll I worked at had people lining up at 6:00 AM and waiting an hour and half to vote.

I was a SO nervous. There were so many scenarios we had to learn for what to do if: people didn't have a valid photo or a signature i.d. or needed assistance to vote, or had a change of address, or were at the wrong poll, or voted absentee and forgot (WHO does that?!) or requested to vote absentee and never did etc...

But guess what? 

Everyone was friendly, most were excited about their right to vote, and most of them had their driver's license, (hooray!) which made it a piece of cake. At one point during the 14 hour day, I even got a chance to 'rest' and be the lady passing out the stickers. : )

I congratulated the first time voters (who were older than I am, to my surprise). We all cheered for the first timer who was 18. I was happy an angry homeless woman was able to vote. I was in awe of a woman who looked to be on death's doorstep, who brought her almost blind son, to assist her in voting. I rejoiced with a man who made it out of the hospital, and came straight over to vote. I mourned with another man whose wife was in the hospital and couldn't. I laughed with the man who asked for two ballots.

There was a poll watcher in blue that we weren't allowed to speak to and since my party didn't have one, I secretly appointed myself for the job. ; )
 -No voter fraud at our poll! I was very impressed with procedures on all sides. During the time that I was, what we called 'Sticker Girl,' our ballot machine reached it's maximum capacity. I happened to be standing beside it as the clerk took all the ballots out and put them in the ballot-luggage-holder and then locked every zipper with official zip ties and the SOE official took it away. (that was another moment of awe)

Our poll didn't get a last minute rush like we expected. After the poll closed we started counting up the signatures (of those who'd voted) in each of our registers and then switched registers to check the counts of the other poll workers. Counting isn't usually hard but this was at the end of a very long day and we were SO tired by then, if anyone said a number out loud, then we'd tell each other to 'shhh!' so we didn't loose count and have to start over. It also did not help me when the poll watcher decided to stand right over me while I counted. 

I had a great team to work with and we truly enjoyed spending the day working together. A few were sweet retirees, one was a dry-wall guy and one young woman, who loved the voting/election process even more than I do. It was a great experience and I enjoyed meeting and serving ALL types of people who came to cast their vote for the next leader of the free world. Maybe I'll do it again in four years. The only problem was that I couldn't stay awake after having been up since 4:00 AM to actually see the results! 

But, then I didn't like the results anyway...

But, I do love the process! 

May God bless America!

~Becky