Poll Workers Needed Everywhere!

Please people, consider seriously signing up to be a poll worker on Election Day. As has been shown in the Allen v. Webb elections, the strategy is to slow down the voting process to the point where access to polls is limited. You can help. We all can help. We can be there to answer questions quickly, we can unjam paper in the printers, we can help reboot stubborn machines, we are tech savvy. Part of the reason that high-tech has been forced upon the eletorate, I'm sure, is that it actually does the opposite of what is intended, it causes inefficiency. Please, please, please, take the day off and work the polls.

http://www.pollworkersfordemocracy.com/

•  Please Help

  It's not a sport, it's an election.

  by dnamj on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 09:16:54 AM PDT

•  I will be a pollworker

     After considerable thought I decided to sign up to be a pollworker. I'll be at the Sherman Oaks Presbyterian Church polls at Dickens and Noble (if y'all are in the area ). I really had to question my sanity about taking it on because it is a very long day from 6AM to 9:30 or 10PM. The pay is lousy, which doesn't concern me too much, because it is really a volunteer position. I won't be able to do any GOTV work on election day because I'll be busy all day and I won't even be able to hear any early eastern returns until after I'm done because I'll be too busy. I worked half of the day last year (in the special election) after I went in to do some poll purging and saw that they were so understaffed that their lists of who had already voted were way behind (they had 3 workers when they needeed 5). It was a heavy turnout in the precinct so I couldn't even get a break from 1PM when I started until we were done....
     I don't mean to discourage anyone from doing the job; just realize that it is a big one. I figured it is like doing jury duty; you want someone to do a fair and diligent job, so you should do it at least once. I don't think I'll become a regular at every election because there is a need for people to do GOTV for the party or candidates, too.  I would say that you should take the day off from work to do one or the other.
      PS: It was a conversation with Debra Bowen, our excellent candidate for CA Sec of State that convinced me to be a pollworker. I hope it goes well.

  by Zack from the SFV on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 09:56:25 AM PDT

  •  Thank you!!

    PLease pass it on!

    I'll be at the Denny Terrace voting location in Seattle!

    by dnamj on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 11:09:39 AM PDT

  •  Kudos to you, Zack!

    I was a poll worker every election before I ran for Assembly.  Like they say about the California Conservation Corps -- hard work, low pay, miserable conditions.  Just kidding, but it IS a long day and low pay.

    I'm glad you're spending the day making the wheels of democracy go 'round.  I hope you have a very uneventful day, filled with voters who are on the rolls and numbers that reconcile with the greatest of ease.

    by Senator Debra Bowen on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 12:22:58 AM PDT

    •  Thank YOU!

      I sure do hope you're able to get our elections back on terra firma.

      by dnamj on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 09:18:23 AM PDT

•  I'm going to be working the polls...

  in IN-06. I did it at the primary election, and will do it now.

  Everyone else working is in their sixties and on up. We need my generation.

  by Alexandra Lynch on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 10:51:15 AM PDT

  •  YEs, we need

    people from all age groups, and also we just plain need tech-savvy people who can work under pressure!!

    by dnamj on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 11:10:12 AM PDT