Oct 28: Weird Wednesday

 
Wednesday was better than Monday, but weird in its own way. 
 
A young woman in her 20s made a mistake on her ballot and asked for a fresh ballot. Following protocol I wrote “spoil” on her first ballot to void it. When I stepped away to pull another ballot out of a file cabinet for her, she grabbed the spoiled ballot off my desk. I asked for it back, letting her know I needed to transfer the ballot ID number from the first ballot to the second. She said she wanted to keep the first ballot to copy her voting decisions to save time. I said ok but I still needed the spoiled ballot back when she was done; it couldn’t leave the room. She seemed bothered by this but agreed. When the woman finished voting she gave her spoiled ballot to Brenda instead of me. I noticed but didn’t think much of it. Then as the voter left the room, she asked for my name. A few minutes later an electioneer from outside knocked on our door and asked to speak with me. I walked outside where he relayed to me a dramatically embellished version of the above. The voter felt I had disrespected her and tried to intimidate her, and the electioneer was there to report the complaint. I thanked him and attempted to explain what had happened from my perspective but he was so upset about the voter’s complaint that he didn’t seem to hear or believe what I told him. An observer interjected to say he had witnessed what had happened inside the room and that I had been respectful to the voter. The observer was republican, not hostile in any way, but wearing a name tag identifying himself as republican. The electioneer was a democrat. Rather than listen to the republican observer or me, the democratic electioneer stormed off in a huff. After a brief cooling off period I walked outside to follow up with the electioneer, to try to make peace with him. I again told him I was sorry the voter was upset and that I was not trying to intimidate her. I still don’t think he believed me.
 
A little while later a uniformed police officer and a security guard came to the voting room and asked to speak with the lead. I walked out into the hallway to meet them, a bit nervous. They informed me of an incident outside involving a dispute between electioneers. Several moderate democrats had been passing out voting brochures every day since early voting began. A new person, a younger more progressive black man arrived today sharing information about racial justice, income inequality and reparations. The moderates felt the progressive was being too pushy and they wanted him to leave. When the new guy refused to leave, a white male electioneer (the same one I had spoken with earlier) had called the police. Because of the racial dynamics involved, the white officers didn’t want to risk escalating the situation by their mere presence so they asked me if as a BOE employee I would be willing to speak with the electioneers. Having completed conflict resolution and de-escalation training years earlier, I agreed to try. We walked outside and the officers stood back away from the fray while I walked toward it. The young black man was using his cell phone to film the tense situation as multiple electioneers yelled and talked over one another like rowdy guests on an episode of Jerry Springer. I calmly and politely introduced myself to the group and utilized active listening skills to gather more information about the dispute, asking them to please allow each person to answer individually one at a time so I could hear them better. Slowly tensions eased and we worked out a compromise so that the new guy could continue electioneering in the general area following the same protocols as everyone else (no blocking the sidewalk, no stalking voters, no hard sell tactics, etc.). After everyone had calmed down and agreed to peacefully coexist I thanked everyone for their cooperation and began walking back toward the voting room. The new guy put his cell phone away, stopped filming, and told me he had been scared because the white guy had called the police. I told him I understood, that I had spoken with the police, and that they were sensitive to his concerns which is why they stayed back instead of responding directly. New guy said he really appreciated that and asked me to thank the officers for him, which I did.
 
Later I was helping a curbside voter when she told me she almost didn’t vote because she didn’t like people hanging around the voting site watching her. Specifically she was concerned about someone sitting in a car parked behind the curbside area. There were several cars in the parking lot and I didn’t see anyone lurking but I told her I would investigate, and that I wouldn’t allow anyone to bother her. After she finished voting and drove away, I walked around the parking lot and saw someone sitting in a parked car as she had described. A young white woman in her mid 20s wearing an Elon sweatshirt was slumped down in the driver’s seat of a small sedan. I honestly would not have noticed her if I had not looked closely at all the parked cars. Her car window was down about an inch for airflow so I walked toward her and introduced myself. She rolled her window down further so we could talk. She said she was a law student working as a curbside observer. I let her know the voter felt intimidated due to being watched while she voted and I asked if she would consider moving her vehicle to a different location in the parking lot in order to avoid making other voters uncomfortable. She said she would call her boss about it but she never moved her car. Other things distracted me from following up so I didn't have a chance to call BOE headquarters until after my shift had ended. Tim said people not on the official vetted list of observers were prohibited and he asked me to call him immediately if it happened again.
  

Tuesday Oct 27: Trudging Along

There was no drama at the polls Tuesday though a few Trump supporters attending a rally in Omaha, Nebraska experienced freezing temperatures as they waited for buses when the event ended. Oregon Trail memes were plentiful on Twitter Wednesday. 

Voter activity picked up a bit as we headed into the final days of early voting. Noticed an uptick of white Trump voters, maybe a dozen or so during my shift. A pack of 4 white men walked in together. One wore a Trump 2020 mask and camo pants. Another wore a Trump t-shirt and MAGA hat. Their mere presence may have felt intimidating to some voters though the men appeared to be harmless, didn’t bother anyone.
 
I silently judged Trump voters, pitied them for their ignorance and unwavering loyalty to their dear leader. I passed judgment on some of the dem voters too, the ones who didn't bother to vote all the way down ballot, the ones who wore a mask with their noses hanging out, and the ones who reeked of cigarette smoke.
 
Received an email from the Tobaccoville chief judge about set up Monday for election day Tuesday. 9 people were scheduled to work though I didn’t recognize any of their names. Chris, the chief judge, said he thought set up would take only an hour. That location was also an early voting site so theoretically we only needed to make a few adjustments, like switching from registration laptops to printed poll books. 
 
When I was working in the BOE office last month I asked an election day recruiter, Stuart, if I could be assigned to a precinct with more dem voters. I told him I would be willing to drive anywhere in the county. Stuart said it would help him if I worked in Tobaccoville because it was difficult to recruit people willing to drive out to the NW edge of the county. The real challenge for Stuart was making sure every precinct had a balanced mix of workers, some democrats and some republicans. Most people prefer to work near where they live so they don’t have to drive far. It was apparently difficult to recruit dems and independents to work in solid red precincts. As an unaffiliated voter, I was like a type O universal blood donor. Non partisan independents were needed everywhere.
 
Felt a bit tired Tuesday but slightly less depressed. Voter activity was steady yet slow enough we had time to move the canopy closer to curbside in preparation for rain Wednesday. Fork IT John. 
 

Photo of canopy near curbside voting area with hillside and stairs visible in background 

Monday Oct 26: Hold My Beer

 
Monday October 26 I woke up tired and depressed. Didn’t want to go to work. Wished I could have closed my eyes and slept for days. Washed my face and brushed my teeth but skipped breakfast so I wouldn’t be late. Drove to work in silence, no music on the radio, so I could think without distractions. If I quit then Lois would probably quit too, which might result in our voting site being closed, which would inconvenience voters and potentially suppress votes. If I didn’t quit then I would have to endure 7 more days of workers not showing up for their scheduled shifts and low information voters not understanding how districts and precincts and wards result in different down ballot options.
 
The facility director’s car wasn’t in the parking lot so I prepared myself to search for security staff to unlock the voting room. I was pleasantly surprised to notice a different security guard standing near the front door. We greeted each other warmly, introduced ourselves, and thanked each other for being there. That was the best moment of the entire day.
 
Only 2 other women showed up to work, Brenda and Tammy. Tina called out sick due to a migraine. Miss Woods was a no show after calling out sick Sunday. Jennifer said she would be late but didn’t come in at all. Mia arrived late around 9:30am (closer to 9:45am) so I handled curbside until she arrived. On a busy day, 6 to 8 workers per shift was ideal though we learned to manage with less. 3 workers was a record low, a new challenge.
 
The first curbside voter was a white man with COPD which reminded me of my mom who died 5 years ago. As I scanned his ballot I noticed he voted for Trump. Dammit.
 
A woman absentmindedly placed her blank ballot in the scanner despite instructions from Brenda and a sign on the machine alerting voters to mark and review their ballots carefully before scanning. We canceled her first vote and gave her a provisional second chance. 
 
Another woman completed her ballot with check marks instead of filling in ovals then chastised us for not telling her to fill in the ovals despite Brenda having told her to fill in the ovals. The woman also overlooked the sample drawing of a filled in oval on her ballot and did not see the sign with instructions posted next to her. We spoiled her first ballot and gave her a second chance. 
 
Then an older white man dressed exceptionally well came in to cast his vote for Trump. Dammit again.
 
While Mia assisted a curbside voter behind the building, I assisted 3 curbside voters parked in front because they hadn't seen the signs directing them where to park. They all voted for Biden - yay! Meanwhile Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, was in town and happened to stop by the voting site while I was outside so I caught a glimpse of him from a distance.
 
Back in the voting room a white family came in with their toddler and they voted for Trump. Bless their hearts. 
 
Later an older man wearing bib overalls came in to vote. He reminded me of my grandfather, a farmer and a staunch Harry Truman democrat. I held my breath looking down at his ballot as he slid it into the DS200 tabulator. YES - he voted for Biden! For a few moments my faith in white voters was temporarily restored.
 
A black couple came in to vote next. Brenda assisted the wife while I helped the husband. He had not voted in a long time so his name had been dropped from the roll of registered voters. I advised him he could re-register on site and asked for ID to verify his address. He said he didn’t have any ID with his current address on it; not a driver’s license or a bill or anything else, absolutely nothing. I advised him he could vote a provisional ballot that would be placed in an envelope and reviewed by the Board of Elections since he didn’t have ID. He didn’t like that. He wanted to vote the same as his wife. I apologized to him and again explained his options. He reluctantly agreed to cast a provisional vote. I gave him a ballot and asked him to return it to me when he finished. His wife walked over to assist him and when he was done, she instinctively placed his provisional ballot in the ballot scanner like she had done with her own ballot. I dropped my head and let out a sigh of disbelief. I reminded them the provisional ballot was supposed to be placed in a special envelope, not scanned. They reacted defensively and left unhappy. 
 
A voter suppression watchdog working outside heard them talking about their less than smooth experience so she came inside to investigate. I explained what happened and she criticized me for not handling the situation better. I bit my lip to keep from crying, apologized and tried to explain. She looked down at me with contempt, criticized me further, then turned and walked back outside. Several women gathered around me in support. I told Lois I was ready to go home and not come back. She said she would quit if I did, and she asked me to reconsider. Brenda passed me a post-it note of encouragement, asking me to stay for her. A young black female voter who had witnessed the exchange told me not to feel bad, and not to quit. I paused to think about the 3,500+ voters we had helped and the hundreds more I hoped would vote by the end of the week. I wanted to go home because I felt tired and hopeless but I decided not to quit for them, and for Brenda and Lois and the other workers. I told them I needed to go home and get some rest and I assured them I would return tomorrow. I promised. 
 
After linner with Greg I took a long nap. Someone from the BOE called around 8pm; I didn’t answer and they didn’t leave a message. Lois texted around 8:30pm, still working on the closing checklist. We were both tired and frustrated but we promised each other we would finish together. Each remaining day I told myself this is the last Monday (Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.) I will ever have to work early voting ever again. Ever. EVER. I wish I could have done it with grace and class but apparently I couldn’t. I lowered my expectations from wanting to do a great job to just wanting to make it through Saturday. Then I could sleep Sunday. Then I could meet the team at the Tobaccoville Community Center to set up Monday evening for election day Tuesday. 
 
I worried election day would likely be worse than every early voting day combined. It was sure to be an excruciatingly long day (6am until at least 8pm, likely longer). The majority of voters in that precinct were registered republicans and that weighed heavy on me. Also, the chief judge had never worked an election so the assistant judges (me and another lead I had not met yet) would have to work extra hard to help him. The best thing about my early voting assignment was that 99% of the voters were black. When a white person walked in, odds were 50/50 how they would vote. However, black voters consistently voted for democrats roughly 98% of the time. Didn’t see a single person write in Kanye West for president, not one. A Biden victory would be because of black voters, black women specifically, some white women, and other non-white voting blocs. I was hopeful Biden would win but not confident. Didn’t want to jinx him.
 
I apologized to my women friends for being so whiny and for sharing so much negativity in my email updates. I didn’t want pity or polite atta-girl comments, though I craved positive energy. I asked them to please keep thinking positive thoughts, lighting candles, saying prayers; all the things they had been doing. I told them I would try to stop being an emotional vampire when voting ended.

Sunday Oct 25: Souls to the Polls

 
Sunday October 25 there were 3 Souls to the Polls events scheduled at voting sites in Forsyth County, including the Mazie Woodruff Center where I worked. The events were organized to get out the vote in predominantly black communities. I was advised by Tim to staff up and be prepared for a busy day with lots of voters.

Sunday was a short work day; noon set up with polls open 1pm-5pm plus 30 minutes for the close out checklist. The Souls to the Polls event crew set up in front of the building as I arrived so I stopped by for quick introductions. They insisted on giving a chicken dinner to every worker and I thanked them.
 
Rain was forecast so I had requested a canopy from the BOE to help keep curbside workers and paperwork dry. A canopy had indeed been delivered Saturday afternoon, safely cocooned in its compact carrying case. Sunday it was still sitting in the corner of the voting room, taunting me. As I booted up computers and voting machines, the phone rang. It was Tim asking if the canopy had been delivered. I told him yes, but that it was not set up. He said he would send someone to set it up and I thanked him. About 45 minutes later 2 IT techs showed up, Clint and John. I thanked them profusely and asked them to please set up the canopy in the grass next to the parking spaces reserved for curbside voting. A few minutes later I looked out the window to see them erecting the canopy on the hill next to the steps, rendering it useless. I quickly ran outside to clarify the best location for the canopy but John interrupted me to mansplain why the canopy was being set up on the hillside. I tried to appeal to him with rational logic but he interrupted again, ending the conversation with “Tim said so.” My blood pressure spiked and I quickly called the BOE office to speak with Tim but he did not answer, perhaps because John speed dialed him first. It took every ounce of self control I could muster not to curse or cause a scene. Defeated and frustrated, I returned to the voting room.
 
Tina said she had a migraine but offered to work curbside until Mia arrived, then left early. To keep ballots dry, I asked them to keep their clipboards in a large plastic bag and to use my golf umbrella for extra protection. They insisted they didn’t need the umbrella as they placed clipboards inside their rain jackets. When a ballot got wet we let it air dry before running it through the scanner. Curbside activity was slow so Mia spent much of the afternoon standing under the canopy on the hillside. I floated the idea of moving the canopy to level ground so she could sit down in my folding beach chair but she said she preferred to stand on the hillside. I thought she was behaving like a defiant, stubborn mountain goat but resisted arguing with her. Whatever. Mid afternoon Tim and Clint showed up to move the canopy. I thanked them for offering and told them Mia liked it where it was so no need to bother. Tim said he agreed with me it made more sense to put the canopy next to the curbside parking spaces. As much as I appreciated his attempt to salvage the situation, I felt it more important to appease Mia at that moment. Tim likely didn’t understand and I didn’t bother trying to explain. I didn’t care about the canopy anymore, or the rain, or much of anything. I just wanted the polls to close so I could go home. And I wanted Mia not to hate me.  
 
Mia and I met downtown in the BOE office a few weeks earlier, both hired to help with data entry. After brief introductions we rarely spoke though I liked her as a co-worker; had no reason not to. She was quiet (unlike Karen) and stayed busy like me. When I learned Mia would be working with me during early voting, I was thrilled. I considered her a familiar face, so to speak, even though I had no idea what her face looked like under her mask. Unfortunately our cordial and socially distanced office relationship soured during early voting. Mia started off energetic, our curbside MVP. She didn’t complain though I could tell her enthusiasm and energy had diminished. That was true for all of us.
 
In the hustle and bustle of the first few chaotic days, I surely offended some with terse instructions. I tried to be polite and respectful, said please and thank you, yet I could have been gentler, kinder, warmer. I had every intention of being a compassionate and caring lead. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, right? Within minutes of meeting the team Lois and I quickly determined staff assignments so everyone could begin working and open the polls on time. There wasn’t time for ice breakers, team building, or 360 degree feedback. The first day was a war zone, like MASH triage. There was chaos, then a semblance of order, followed by adjustments, and eventually a rhythm developed. Some of us bonded but not everyone. Mia and I definitely did not.
 
I wanted to tell Mia how much I admired her for working so hard while also a college student, how I did the same when I was younger. I wanted to listen to her and others more, and to talk less. I wanted to be a better lead so every woman on the team felt supported and respected and appreciated instead of tired like I felt. 

 
 
In preparation for Sunday’s event, Tim had instructed us to schedule all available staff to avoid unnecessary wait times for voters. Lois and her afternoon team had worked Saturday so none of them wanted to work Sunday too, including Lois. My skeleton crew managed well under the circumstances. Unfortunately the weather dampened voter turnout; only 74 ballots were cast. The rain and lack of voters was more than a bit depressing. The music was nice though. I had expected gospel but was pleasantly surprised to hear a mix of popular songs by black artists from the 60s and 70s.
 
Because of the canopy debacle and low voter turnout, Sunday was disappointing. I went home thinking the next day had to be better, couldn’t possibly be worse. Of course I was wrong. Bless my heart.

First week summary

 
Sunday October 18 had been a short work day and enough workers showed up to fill most positions, including a younger person for curbside duty. Voter activity was light compared to the first 3 days of early voting. Sunday night Greg and I ate dinner together and watched tv. I was tired but not exhausted so it felt almost like a normal Sunday night.
 
Monday morning the facility director met me to sign out keys. She had been on vacation the week before. Friendly, professional and organized – she was a noticeable and welcome change from the security staff who had been hard to find some mornings. By 8am enough workers had shown up to open and function; not everyone scheduled but enough. Voter activity was again light, making time drag a bit. Lois and I were both tired and got on each others’ nerves somewhat.
 
We shared an L-shaped work area and sometimes bumped into each other, both physically and administratively. I tried to keep my side neat and organized but her side stayed messy with a chaotic array of papers, paper clips, pens and post-it notes cluttering the neutral zone between us, repeatedly encroaching into my space. No matter how many times I sorted and straightened, the clutter returned. At one point we were so annoyed with each other that I took a long break to avoid saying something I would surely regret. I sat in my car to calm down and reset. Seriously considered driving home and/or quitting but didn’t. I moved my car to a quiet area of the parking lot, reclined my seat to be more relaxed, and contemplated how to make the best of our situation.
 
Lois was sugar sweet when I came back into the voting room 2 hours later. We discussed a few options and ultimately decided to split up the long day, divide and conquer, to avoid burning out. Neither of us wanted to continue working 13 hour days. Lois isn’t a morning person and wasn't yet comfortable with computers or end of day reporting so I offered to take the morning shift to start up all the equipment and manage the morning crew, take a long break after she arrived, then return to help her close out until she felt confident she could close out alone.
 
From home to the voting site is a 20 minute drive for me, one way. Splitting my day into 2 shifts meant twice as much time wasted driving, but I convinced myself it would be worth it to spend a little more time with Greg, to eat a meal together, and to take a short nap before returning to help Lois.
 
About an hour after our detente, Lois burst into tears when she received a call from her husband with news that his sister had died. I attempted to comfort her and told her to take as much time as she needed. The team echoed their support for her. I notified the BOE and prepared myself for the possibility of becoming a solo lead without Lois or anyone else to help. Monday night, without Lois in the room, I completed the end of shift checklist and reconciliation report in 30 minutes, less than half the time it took working with Lois by my side. Being a solo lead might have some advantages after all, I thought. 
 
Tuesday morning I texted Lois to check in on her, and to let her know all was well at the voting site, no worries. She did not text back. Actually, all was not well. I lied so Lois wouldn’t worry or return to work too soon. One of the workers quit Tuesday morning because she didn’t want to do curbside anymore, even though curbside was only 2 hours of her 7 hour shift. Another worker called out sick. The remaining workers and I adjusted to cover for each other as needed. We were less than a skeleton crew but voter activity was light so we managed. Around 1pm Lois arrived to work. She appeared agitated, which was noticed by several workers. I approached her cautiously, expressed condolences for the loss of her sister in law, and encouraged her to take the day off, the entire week if she needed it. She said she was at work because her husband, Rudi, needed time alone to grieve without her in the house. After spending several long days with Lois, I think I understood how Rudi felt. After a brief period of transition between morning team and afternoon team, I told Lois I was going home for a long break as we had agreed, and that I would return to help her with end of day tasks.
 
At home Tuesday afternoon Greg and I ate linner together (late lunch / early dinner), then I took a 2 hour nap before driving back across town to help Lois. We finished our close out checklist in 45 minutes, just 5 minutes longer than my 40 minute round trip driving time.  
 
Wednesday and Thursday were much the same, except the facility director wasn’t there to greet me Thursday morning. I noticed a police car in the parking lot and parked next to it. Also saw 2 men in the shadows (before sunrise) so I quickly sprinted into the building. Couldn’t find security staff on duty. Calling the emergency phone number and pressing the emergency call button did not help so I called 911. When the dispatcher answered I told her there was no emergency, that I was an election worker and needed assistance from the police officer on site to enter the locked voting room. She put me on hold for a moment, then told me there was no police officer on site. I assured her there was, that I had parked next to a patrol car, and I offered to walk back to the car to note the vehicle tag number for her. As I walked out of the building, the 2 men walked toward me: 1 uniformed police officer and 1 security guard in a polo shirt. They chastised me for not greeting them outside when I arrived. I wanted to scream that they should have met me inside the well lit building but I restrained myself, ended my call with the 911 dispatcher, and politely apologized for inconveniencing them. Friday morning I carried pepper spray with me, as a personal safety precaution and to help myself feel a wee bit less vulnerable.
 
We were short staffed Friday, more so than usual since 2 workers didn’t show up; 1 expected and 1 unexpected. It was a light day so I took my long afternoon break anyway. I told Lois to call me if she needed help before close out. I fell asleep for a nap at 3:30pm. She texted and called at 4pm. Bless her heart.
 
When Greg annoys me, which isn’t often, I sometimes call him Gregory. If I call him Lois next time, he will know precisely how much he is bothering me.
 
Weekend shifts are shorter and typically lighter than weekdays so Lois and I agreed to give each other a day off, sort of. Lois worked Saturday while I was mostly off, and I worked Sunday while she was totally off. She asked for help with the opening checklist Saturday so I drove across town to assist her. Two scheduled workers did not show up, including a curbside attendant. Lois and the rest of the team assured me they could handle it without me so I drove home with mixed feelings; glad they urged me to go home but worried they might need me. Greg and I didn’t do anything special that day, though it felt nice just to relax and watch tv together. Instead of driving back that evening, Lois called at 5pm for telephone tech support style assistance with the closing checklist.
  

Thursday Oct 15: Surviving

 
Thursday October 15, the first day of early voting, was a blur. When Lois and I arrived at 7am, an hour before the polls opened, approximately 50 people were in line to vote. By the time the polls opened, the line had doubled, wrapping around the side of the building and around the corner.
 
Lois and I had been emailed an updated list of workers Wednesday night, divided into an early shift (7:30am – 2pm) and a later shift (1:30pm – 8pm). We did not have a full crew on either shift but enough to open and function. They arrived at 7:30am.
 
After quick introductions we assigned each person a specific task. Lois took charge of the voting room and helped orient each worker while I led the curbside team (the youngest and healthiest women) outside. We walked down 20 steps toward 5 parking spaces reserved specifically for curbside voters. At 7:50am there were 20+ cars lined up waiting to vote curbside. While the women helped the voters inside the first 2 cars I walked down the line of waiting cars to greet voters, thank them for their patience, and organize the line to snake through the parking lot so as not to block traffic on the main road.
 
It was 8:06am by the time I made my way back up the 20 steps to the voting room entrance. The door was still locked and people in line were getting anxious. I apologized to them for the delayed opening and thanked them for their patience, then knocked on the door and asked Lois if she and the workers were ready. She said yes so we opened the door and allowed people to enter slowly, 1 by 1.
 
A delightful, friendly woman named Priscilla greeted voters as they entered and offered each person disposable gloves and a pen. Her table was stocked with supplies: pens, masks, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, and a variety of gloves (medium, large, X-large, latex and powder free). From what I saw and remember, everyone wore masks though a few masks were loose and not covering noses. Some wore face shields instead of masks, and a few wore both. I didn't notice a single person without PPE, not that I can remember. 
 
Our room was set up with 3 registration tables plus 2 help desk stations for Lois and me; 5 laptops total with shared printers. There were only 2 workers comfortable using a computer so 1 registration table remained closed until the afternoon shift workers arrived.
 
The voting booths are intended to accommodate 4 voters each, in a circle, with dividers between like a pie cut into 4 pieces. We were instructed to put closed signs on 2 of the 4 tabletop surfaces for COVID social distancing, forcing us to operate at 50% max capacity.
 
One worker stood near the ballot scanner machine to assist voters casting their ballots, and to collect pens and distribute “I Voted” stickers. We had planned to give every voter a pen to keep but delivery of extra pens was delayed so we collected and sanitized pens for re-use. Also, we were supposed to have a line manager outside and a statistics tabulator person inside to help organize and count paper forms but didn’t fill those positions until later in the day when more workers arrived. Some of the morning shift workers agreed to stay later than scheduled so we were fully staffed for a few hours in the afternoon.
 
The first hour was painful for everyone, voters waiting in line as well as workers trying to learn their jobs and get everything right. By afternoon we were rolling along smoothly. There were some intermittent tech issues, laptops and printers needed to be rebooted a few times throughout the first day, but otherwise no major issues. We rotated quick breaks as we could but no one took longer than 15 minutes.
 
Some early morning voters waited 2 hours to vote. By 10am wait times dropped to 90 minutes. By afternoon we were down to 30 minute wait times, then 15 minutes, then walk ins (no waiting) during the last hour or two.
 
Outside there were more than 30 cars lined up waiting for curbside during peak morning hours, most with 3 or 4 voters inside. A few curbside voters waited long enough to have ballot packets prepared but drove away before actually voting so their ballots were spoiled (cancelled). Curbside activity slowed during afternoon shift.
 
718 people voted at our location Thursday, approximately 150 of them curbside. Polls closed at 7:30pm and a few workers helped us organize and count paper authorization to vote forms before leaving at 8pm. Since Lois and I are both new leads, BOE trainer Danielle assisted us with our first end of day close out. We finished at 9:45pm.
 
I drove home exhausted yet relieved to have survived the first day, physically tired and grimy with sweat. Greg met me at the door with a stiff drink (Jack and Coke) and unpacked my lunch bag for me while I washed my hands and face. In the bathroom mirror I noticed dirt in the crease of my neck and dry, cracked cuticles around my fingernails. Afterward I sat down to rest and tell Greg about my day. Couldn’t relax enough to fall asleep until after midnight, then woke up at 5:30am to do it all over again.
 
Friday, day 2 of early voting, was better though not great. Security was late to unlock our room so I called a phone number I had been given but no answer. Found a call button near the entrance so I pressed it once which emitted a loud noise like a fire alarm. Waited a few seconds and pressed it again, a little longer. Still no response so I pressed it longer, roughly 10 seconds. Finally a sleepy eyed security guard emerged from down the hall.
 
A long line of voters were waiting for us again but our longest wait time was 1 hour 10 minutes, a marked improvement from the day before. Several of the workers agreed to longer shifts so we had enough staff to fill all but 1 position during peak, and to rotate more and longer breaks. I took two 15 minute breaks, first around 11am and another around 3pm. 595 voters cast their ballots with us Friday, 94 curbside. Lois and I were done with close out reporting by 8:45pm, an hour earlier than the night before.
 
Saturday morning I stopped at McDonalds to pick up biscuits and orange juice for the team. While in the drive thru line I received a text from Lois. Local tv morning news host had announced polls would open at 8am though we were planning for a 9am start. Oh shit. It was 7:45am and my heart raced. I sped to work, carried breakfast into our break room and called the tv station as I began turning machines on to get the voting room ready. The woman who answered the phone at WXII apologized for the mistake and said a correction had been announced multiple times to clarify the correct start times in each nearby county. Meanwhile a man waiting outside saw me through the glass door and knocked to get my attention. He was upset, said one of the registration desk workers had kept his driver’s license and he wanted it back. I asked him to please wait a moment so I could investigate. I had my hands full with start-up tasks so I asked Lois to help the man at the door. At first she continued to eat her biscuit and mumbled that we didn’t have his license, which I agreed we probably didn’t since we aren’t allowed to ask for ID unless a person has moved and we need to verify their new address. She did not want to deal with him so I asked her nicely to please help. She still didn’t want to so I asked firmly, less nicely. She finally got up and walked out to assist him. Lois and I work fairly well together as co-leads, complementing one another; her with more experience and me with computer skills. But she has 2 speeds: slow and slightly slower. My patience was wearing thin Saturday morning, very thin.
 
After finishing their biscuits, team members slowly shuffled to their work stations to begin the day. Unfortunately some people didn’t show up as scheduled, and we had no young healthy workers to do curbside voting. The youngest of the crew were obese women who did not want to trudge up and down 20 steps multiple times a day for curbside. I tried to nudge them, begged them, but they wouldn’t budge. I feared that if I pushed them too hard they would quit so I reluctantly agreed to be the curbside attendant if 1 other person would help me by staying at the top of the steps to run papers between me and Lois. Between 9am and 5pm I spent about 7 hours (all but 1 hour) outside managing curbside, and logged nearly 12,000 steps total, most of them up and down the hill between the building and the parking lot.
 
The longest wait time was 30 minutes during early morning, 15 minutes for about an hour, then walk in (no waiting) the rest of the day. 315 people voted at our site Saturday, 45 curbside. Lois and I completed close out by 6:30pm. I called Greg to coordinate dinner plans; he placed a carry out order online from a nearby restaurant and I picked it up on the way home.
 
Though I had expected Saturday to be a better day than Thursday or Friday, it started out worse and ended with me even more exhausted than I can describe. The good news is that those of us who worked together Saturday bonded. Several of them checked in with me periodically and cheered me on as I struggled to repeatedly climb up and down the steps as the day wore on. It was only 20 steps but I felt like Sylvester Stalone climbing massive stairs in an iconic scene from his Rocky movie, only I was slowly limping instead of running like him, and there was no soundtrack music motivating me to keep going. At the bottom of the hill I sometimes leaned against a concrete lamp post to rest like a tired hooker. It was not a good look. Eventually I moved my car closer to the curbside area so I could sit inside and rest a bit when curbside service was slow enough. One worker, an older black woman who I think was initially skeptical of working with a potentially bossy white woman, actually hugged me at the end of the day and told me I was a hard worker. I felt good to have earned her respect. Still, by the end of the day, I was broken both physically and emotionally. My back and legs ached and I sobbed pitifully while driving home, struggling to regain my composure before picking up dinner.
 
After dinner I took 2 Bayer Back and Body aspirin pills, cried a little more as I told Greg about my day, then checked messages. My brother Randy let me know that our 90 year old paternal grandmother died Saturday. She was our last surviving grandparent. It was late by the time I saw his message so I texted him back rather than call. Greg asked me how I felt about her death. I am sad, of course, but glad she died relatively peacefully rather than in pain or due to COVID. I don’t know if there will be a funeral and won’t attend if there is. I loved her very much but already said my goodbyes to her and that side of my family. I am estranged from my father but am considering writing him a letter and sending him a sympathy card. Randy isn’t sure if that would upset him or not so I’m going to think about it a little more. Greg is understanding and supportive, he knows about my strained family relationships. He also cautioned me not to tell people at work that my grandmother died yesterday because they might think I am cold and heartless for continuing to work after her passing instead of taking a break to grieve. I think he is right so I only told a few close friends. Judge me if you must, I don’t have time to explain right now. 
 
I slept ok Saturday night, felt somewhat rested when I woke up Sunday, more or less, good enough. I need to be at work by noon. Polls open 1pm to 5pm Sunday. 

   

Wednesday Oct 14: Almost ready

Wednesday October 14 update:
 
I left the BOE office early to meet co-lead Lois at our early voting site to pre-set up as much as possible. The IT team was still unboxing equipment when we arrived, running a little behind schedule, so we were in each other's way a bit at first. IT folks finished up around 5pm. Lois and I stayed until 7:30pm. We are not completely ready for Thursday morning but will arrive an hour early to hopefully finish up a few last minute tasks before the doors open. 
 
If everyone shows up who is currently scheduled to work, there will not be enough people to adequately cover every responsibility so Lois and I are going to have to scramble a bit to cover all our bases. We'll make do as best we can and that will have to be good enough under the circumstances. 
 
I think Lois and I are going to get along and complement one another. She is an older (than me) black woman with prior election experience. It is my understanding most of the team are people of color, some older and some younger. I am comfortable working with and leading a diverse team so no worries; knock wood. 
 
As we finished up and prepared to go home for the night, I told Lois that I would follow her lead Thursday since she has more election experience than me and knows some of the people assigned to our team. I assured her that as a co-lead I would be respectful with everyone and not ask anyone to do anything I'm not willing to do myself. She said that last year 2 white women leads were mean and rude to the black workers. I assured her I would not be like those white women. I know there are going to be challenges tomorrow, and throughout the rest of election season, but I am determined race ought not divide us. I would much rather be working with people of color in their neighborhood than with Trump supporters in a predominantly white neighborhood. 
 
I'm tired and somewhat nervous about tomorrow. But I'm not freaking out, not at the moment anyway. If I can get a decent night's sleep then I think I'll be able to face what is coming. Hopefully. 
 
 
PS -- I called my friend Gail during my lunch break to tell her about an interesting phone call at work. Caller ID came from Salt Lake City, Utah. Caller asked about early voting locations and asked me to verify his voter registration information, which I did. His last name was Romney. Could he possibly related to Mitt ?? Mystery unsolved.