Better way to serve: become an election official

News outlets are reporting that there is a shortage of 500,000 Poll Workers for Nov 2 (out of 2 million needed.)  And with heavy turnout expected, the demand for workers could be even greater.  So here is my earnest plea for Kerry supporters to consider an alternative to GOTV work on election day:  work as an election official, instead.

CW holds it that heavy turnout favors Kerry, so we need to make sure that the polling locations are humming along, getting people in and out in order to avoid long lines that might discourage elderly voters, first-time voters, and voters who are taking time off from their job.  Our GOTV effort will only be as successful as our polling stations allow...

Me, I just signed up two hours ago at City Hall, right after voting.  The line for early voting here in madison was 20 minutes long.  I was told by one of the officials that the line had been down the hall and out the door of city hall all day, every day this week, and was expected to swell tomorrow.  Further proof that we'll need all the help we can get on Nov 2, to make sure all our new voters get heard!

Let's make sure our polling places are staffed by competent, honest Democrats, as opposed to incompetent, dishonest Republicans.

•  Bravo!

  Recommend this diary!

  by Omar on Wed Oct 27, 2004 at 04:39:15 PM PDT

•  Absolutely right

  I just got a ballot clerk for our town, our ballot clerks are wonderful people, but ancient!  One is in the hospital, another on a well deserved cruise to the Mediterranean (she vote absentee), and we need extras because of the turnout expected,  I am trying to get us all organized,  I hope my husband decides to stay married through the election!  Whew.  He gets frustrated with my politicking.  But if I don't do it, I will always regret it, I know.
  Thank the higher powers for Daily Kos, I do not know what I would do without you all.  If I had to read what is on the major media for my only news diet, I would have been locked up in the rubber room by now!

  by nhselectwoman on Wed Oct 27, 2004 at 05:31:16 PM PDT

•  Great idea

  Couldn't being a poll worker help us spot and effectively intervene to stop voter suppression efforts?

  I voted early in Raleigh NC. Standing in the long line and voting took a total of 1 hour 15 minutes. It would have gone a lot faster if there had been more workers and more voting stations.

  Here is a story re the need for poll workers.
  http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=usatoday/pollworkershardertofindtrain
  

  by Jann on Wed Oct 27, 2004 at 06:03:30 PM PDT

•  I am, too!

  I'm in a really really red part of North Carolina, so I volunteered a couple of weeks ago- I'm really interested in seeing what goes down, and it's really helped me not feel so powerless.

  My training session thing is tomorrow night- it'll be a whole bunch of 70+ people, and my 25 year old self.  Maybe this'll keep some of the older set from saying my generation just doesn't care about anything.

  by noshenanigans on Wed Oct 27, 2004 at 06:29:33 PM PDT