Election Monitoring in 2004: Notes from the Field III

read part 2
read part 1

There were, of course, real problems also – things that I didn't see myself, but that I heard about from other poll workers around the country. Some of them were really scary stories about voter intimidation. How would you feel if when you drove up to your polling cite there was a person there writing down your license plate number and who-knows-what information about you? There were polling sites where people were told that they couldn't vote if they had outstanding parking tickets. There were even sites where people were warned that their papers with the INS would have to be checked over after they voted. I don't know what you would think if someone told you that, but if it was me I'd think I'd better be safe and not vote at all.

Simplest of all – and scariest, too – was the polling sites where official-looking individuals in dark suits standing near the entrance to the site with a clipboard. They didn’t even have to be writing anything, but the feeling of being watched made the air electric around them. No one wants to be put under a microscope – especially when they’re doing something as personal as voting.

For some of the problems we saw, we were only about to record them and report about them to the press – at the least, this made sure that people knew what was happening. At other times, though, we were able to get in touch with election officials who would then send the trouble-makers away.

Remember – the right to vote is a right ALL Americans have. A lot of people don’t know this, and we need people there to tell them – otherwise, folks from the other side end up keeping them away. No one should be afraid to vote because their CAR isn’t properly registered (and yes, that happened too). When you’ve got poll watchers there, those things aren’t as likely to happen.

We learned a lot from the 2004 elections. We might not have been able to stop every problem at the polls, but we exposed the voter suppression that has been going on for years, largely unnoticed. The more people we get this time around, the better the election will run in two weeks. Here in Virginia and across the country, we need election monitors to make sure that we can keep accidents from happening at the polls, keep the other side honest, and make sure that no one gets away with the honest-to-god-scams that someone will almost certainly try.

This time around, every vote is going to count. We’ve seen the problems before, we know what to look for, and we’re ready for it. So get out and vote, email us if you’re interested in volunteering as an election monitor, and let’s win this thing on nov. 7th!

The more stories we can get out, the more we’ll be ready for this election, so please comment and let everyone know what you’ve faced if you’ve ever worked as an election monitor.

Stay tuned for more stories from the field...

Election Monitoring in 2004: Notes from the Field II

read part I

Working as a poll monitor isn't all intrigue - it isn't all sneaky tricks. Some of it is keeping an eye on the little things that you never think would be a problem - like having enough parking spaces - and making sure that there's no trouble. Most of it, in fact, is working with people from across the political spectrum who just want to make sure that we have a good, fair election where every vote gets counted.

Another set of problems we faced were things that don't seem so bad at first, but when you really think about it, turn out to be a huge problem. Imagine that there's a lack of parking at the polling site you're going to. Doesn't sound too bad, right? Now imagine that it's nearing six pm on election day, you're driving home with your kids in the back-seat, all of them complaining about how hungry they are, you pull in to cast your vote, and can't find anywhere to park. Which is more likely – that you'll wait for a place to open, or that you'll just go home, make them dinner, and forget about voting until next time?

Similarly, people might be waiting outside the polling site in a giant line. Once again – you're coming home late from work, and you're exhausted. You just want to vote, but are you going to stand in a long line or just head home? We hope everyone would stick around no matter how long it takes (and here in Virginia, if you're in line when the polls close, you're guaranteed to get a chance to cast your vote), but we want to make it as easy as possible for people to vote – not make it more difficult.

How does an election monitor fix these sorts of problems? We talk to the people running the polling place, get people on line moved inside, make sure everyone is warm and comfortable maybe even get access to another polling place or an extra machine to spread out the load. We work to smooth the way, so that voting can be as pleasant an experience as possible, and every vote gets counted.

One of my favorite parts was watching the absentee voting process. That was fascinating. It was all paper ballots. There were literally four women, bless their hearts, two from each party, who would inspect every absentee ballot. There were problems, of course – college students would vote absentee and then, if the election suddenly grew closer, they might show up at home, wanting to vote in person. No one was trying to trick anyone – they were just excited about the election and wanted to take part. We had to figure out which vote should be counted, and make sure that everyone knew what was happening. In the end, we decided in a small town like that, the people working the polls would recognize the voters anyway – so we counted the absentee ballot, put their name on a list, and let them know when they came into the polling place. That way we didn't have to turn them away from both places, and everyone knew that their votes had been counted properly. Most of the work that I did was like that - logistical things that you wouldn't catch without poll watchers there.

... to be continued

and if you're lucky, you just might get to watch the absentee ballots getting counted. 1... 2... 3...

Mason-Dixon and Bloomberg/L.A. Times Polls weigh in

Want to know how close this race is going to be? just check the polls -
Yesterday's Mason/Dixon poll has Allen up 47-43 [fox news], but a Bloomberg/L.A. Times poll from today puts Webb up 47-44 [bloomberg]!

With the race this close, the independent monitors that will be out around the state ensuring that every vote gets counted will be even more important.

read more about new polling data over at Raising Kaine...

Everything you wanted to know about election law but were afraid to ask

Nathaniel and I caught a ride out to Fairfax last night for the first voter protection training, where we learned the ins and outs of election monitoring in Virginia. We snagged the last few seats in the packed conference room, and listened as the trainers and some veteran election monitors shared strategies and stories.

Voter identification was a hot topic of discussion. One experienced election monitor noted that in the past there had been confusion about picture IDs. Some voters without IDs were asked to vote with provisional ballots rather than using the machines.

The lowdown for voters? Bring ID to keep your life simple. However, EVEN IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ID, YOU CAN AND SHOULD VOTE AT THE MACHINES. Unless you are a first time voter who registered by mail, you do not have to show picture identification. If you don’t have ID, you will probably be asked to sign a piece of paper that basically says, “Yes, that’s me!” But you do have a right to vote at the machines!

For Virginia voters, the good news is that election monitors will be out in full force on Election Day, passing out helpful materials and making sure every vote counts. Be sure to let them know if you have any concerns about your vote. You will know them by the steely, determined look in their eyes, not to mention their election monitor signs and buttons.

Do you have other advice for voters on election day? The more we learn, the better prepared all our monitors will be. Stay tuned here for more tips about voters’ rights!

Election Day Monitoring 2004: Notes from the Field I

Right now we're going to step into the way-back machine, and take a look at how things used to be. This post will be the first in a series of posts from people who've worked as election monitors in the past. By hearing their stories, by listening to the challenges they faced, their failures and successes, we can be that much more prepared this time around.

I was placed in a very rural part of the country – my town was probably 2,000 people. Polls were opened and closed by people identified with one party or another – because in such a small town, everyone knows everyone, and there's only so many people to work the polls. I'm sure this is the same all in small towns all over the country, and that's fine. It just makes having someone from both parties at every polling site very important.

First of all, I think it's important to remember that people who volunteer their time to sit at a polling place all day have very good intentions. I wish more people were like that. I wish more people gave back to the democratic process the way these people do.

That said, I saw things, and heard about things, that we all need to be careful of. This year in Virginia, we can make sure that every vote is counted the way it should be.

A common problem that we faced was people not being allowed to vote because they weren't registered to vote at that particular polling place. Poll watchers were able to inform voters that they could go to a central location and find out where he or she was in fact registered to vote. Procedures vary from state to state, but many people were turned away from polling because of this issue.

... to be continued

Do you have any stories from the polls that you'd like to share? Any challenges you've faced? The more we know, the better prepared we can all be.