With the election just around the corner, we checked in with Monitor columnist Tim O’Shea – you know, the guy with One Man’s Media – who also happens to be a ballot inspector at Ward 7 in Concord, to see what it’s like to work at the polls on Election Day.
What are your duties on Election Day? My job is to verify that voters are registered and have a photo ID. We check their names against the voter rolls, confirm their identity and then hand them a ballot. We also direct them accordingly if there are questions about their registration or if they don’t have an ID or refuse to provide one – you can still vote without a photo ID but you have to complete a few extra steps, including having a Polaroid taken of your cheesy mug. One thing that sometimes confuses people is the requirement for us to read the name and address out loud, and then repeat the name. We need to do this loud enough so that any poll observers can hear us. The secretary of state does send people to check up on us. We do this because we have to.
What does an Election Day consist of for you? When do you start? How long are you there? We arrive at 6 a.m. to set up, greet voters as the polls open at 7 a.m. and then sit there until 7 p.m. when the polls close. We get a few breaks but the four of us tend to skip the breaks – we love doing it.
If you’re working the polls from open to close, when do you find time to vote? And do you actually vote in Ward 7? I look for a break in the line and then go to a fellow voter roll worker to go through my process. I have to show an ID like everyone else. I am a proud Ward 7 voter. Did you know Ward 7 was voted one of the 10 Sexiest Wards in the state? It’s true. Look it up.
What made you want to volunteer to work in a polling location? How long have you been doing it for? I consider the entire voting process as one of the most important things any American can do – people who don’t vote are sycophantic maggots living off everyone else’s choice to have their voices heard. Not voting is like not brushing your teeth. Volunteering is a way to participate up close. This will be my third year doing this. It’s one of my favorite days of the year – just ahead of National Donut Day.
What is the most interesting conversation you’ve heard from people waiting in line to check in? Any ones that could have eventually led to fisticuffs? People show a tremendous amount of respect for the process and tend to keep their opinions to themselves. It’s a little like a neighborhood block party – people see each other and say hello, ask about family and kids and hug and smile. It’s really nice and makes me happy to be part of the community. I did meet the son of one of the soldiers who raised the flag on Iwo Jima – Renee Gagnon – he was there to vote and I welled up a little. How cool is that! His dad risked his life for exactly what his son and I were doing together.
Are you expecting things to be a little bit busier this year? General elections are busy but a little easier – you get more people but you don’t have to determine what ballot they need – for the primaries, you have to give them either one or the other, so that slows things down. It will be very, very busy this year I bet.
What’s the No. 1 thing you’d like to remind voters of? You are a bad person if you don’t vote. No other way to say it.
How often do you get people coming in to vote, but are at the wrong polling location? Rarely. Almost never. We do allow Canadians to get bused into the polling station to vote four or five times each, but only at midnight under the cloak of darkness. Such nice people, those Canadians.
When you check in a first-time voter, do you congratulate them? Yes! Someone shouts it and everyone applauds – warms my heart every time.
Do you get to take home all the extra “I voted” stickers? I do – by the end of the night we’re eating them out of sheer exhaustion.
Now you can tell us, who are you voting for? Do you plan on taking a ballot selfie and posting it on social media? I will leave the selfies to others, and as for who I’m voting for, my parents always told me that was nobody’s business. I’ll just say that I’m voting for the better person.
