A guardian of democracy
At least that is what the add in the campus newspaper called election workers. So, being otherwise marginally unemployed, I signed up. After all, $90 for a days work, could be worse and I anticipated the possability of getting some fun stories from the experiance. And I thought it would look good on a resume.
Well, it was a long days work, to say the least, setting up the polls at 0530 and not getting out until after 2000, and we were lucky, some precincts had lines out the door at closing time and had to wait till those folks voted, sometimes not till after midnight. It was amusing, none the less. The excitment some people had, especially the first time voters was neat, and the exhasperation of people who waited until 30 minutes before closing to drive to the wrong precinct and then blame us for their own lack of preparation. And the ones who thought they could vote here, even though they are registered in Rhode Island. It is a completely differant ballot people! So my public service for the day is to tell you all, here and now, that is you move, you need to change your voter registration or you will not be able to vote!! Ok, I feel a little better; the venting is over and I will try for an amusing story later.
Oh, got one. The elections inspector at my site was an unpleasnt obese woman who generally made people feel like shit when she told them they were at the wrong place. Towards the days end, when we are all getting a bit tired and loopy, she starts complaining about her chapped lips. She wanders over to the table and picks up the little dish of moistener we have to put on fingertips to help turn the pages of the register. Now I admit it is shaped like a tin of Carmex, but the resemblance ends there. It is bigger, pink, and says on the side "...use to moisten fingertips...". Well she grabs it and gets a glob on her finger and smears the 'ole lipps with it and looks around triumphantly smiling. Then her lips begin to quiver and the smile disapears and she says somewhat worriedly that it is starting to burn. She waddles as fast as she can over to an adjacent room with a sink as we help the next people in line and exchange generally befuddled looks.
Well, it was a long days work, to say the least, setting up the polls at 0530 and not getting out until after 2000, and we were lucky, some precincts had lines out the door at closing time and had to wait till those folks voted, sometimes not till after midnight. It was amusing, none the less. The excitment some people had, especially the first time voters was neat, and the exhasperation of people who waited until 30 minutes before closing to drive to the wrong precinct and then blame us for their own lack of preparation. And the ones who thought they could vote here, even though they are registered in Rhode Island. It is a completely differant ballot people! So my public service for the day is to tell you all, here and now, that is you move, you need to change your voter registration or you will not be able to vote!! Ok, I feel a little better; the venting is over and I will try for an amusing story later.
Oh, got one. The elections inspector at my site was an unpleasnt obese woman who generally made people feel like shit when she told them they were at the wrong place. Towards the days end, when we are all getting a bit tired and loopy, she starts complaining about her chapped lips. She wanders over to the table and picks up the little dish of moistener we have to put on fingertips to help turn the pages of the register. Now I admit it is shaped like a tin of Carmex, but the resemblance ends there. It is bigger, pink, and says on the side "...use to moisten fingertips...". Well she grabs it and gets a glob on her finger and smears the 'ole lipps with it and looks around triumphantly smiling. Then her lips begin to quiver and the smile disapears and she says somewhat worriedly that it is starting to burn. She waddles as fast as she can over to an adjacent room with a sink as we help the next people in line and exchange generally befuddled looks.
posted by Jared | 7:05 PM
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