Ada County poll worker finds inspiration in Idaho voters on Election Day
Divisiveness, anger, frustration, mistrust and threats. That is the narrative emerging around the 2020 presidential election. What I saw on Election Day as an Ada County poll worker couldn’t have been more different. The election I witnessed and served was distinctly positive and hopeful. Turnout was high with more than 80 percent of registered voters across the state voting. More than 800 citizens came to vote at my polling station alone, and many for the first time ever or for the first time in many years. One guy told me he hadn’t voted in 34-years.
I was raised to not cry in public, but watching an elderly son help his 97-year-old mom wait in line and navigate the election process brought me to tears. She was going to vote no matter what. No pandemic, no lines, nothing would keep her from performing her civic duty. Other elderly citizens also struggled, were actually in physical pain as they used their walkers or their canes, to wait in line and vote. They had to sit in chairs to fill out their four-page long ballots, but they did it. Again, nothing was going stop them from voting.
The recently naturalized American citizens who were voting for the first time also inspired. The couple from a war-torn Eastern European country who clapped for each other as they inserted their ballots into the voting machine was but one example. Tough men wearing their work clothes and bright-colored vests showed up to vote even though it was costing them money to do it. “I’m paid by the hour,” one guy shared. The young mom with three young children who struggled to get her driver’s license out of her handbag while she held one child never lost her smile as she registered. She was showing her children the importance of voting real time.
Many voters had to register with us because they hadn’t voted in years, or they were voting for the first time, or they were new to Idaho. My job was to help them. At the start of the process I had to ask them two questions. First, are you a U.S. Citizen? Second, are you at least 18-years of age? Per the first question, everyone answered “yes,” and they answered it with pride. The second question brought on laughs. Men and women with gray hair and seasoned smiles would say things like “unfortunately” or “thanks for asking” or “you are so kind.”
One young man showed up to vote about an hour before the polls closed. He didn’t have proof of residence. Our rock star election judge patiently and kindly explained to him what sort of evidence was needed to meet the requirement. She urged him to get it and to come back and vote. Five minutes before the closing of the polls he ran into the polling place with the right evidence. He was our last voter! He hadn’t given up. It was too important.
As inspiring to me as the voters I met were the team working the polls with me. A couple were high school students who couldn’t vote but who wanted to be involved in the election and to help. Two of my colleagues were military vets and listening to their stories of service during the few slow times during the day reminded me how lucky we are to have such dedicated, selfless people volunteering to serve us all.
Before the polls opened at 8 a.m., our poll chief asked us why we were doing this work on Election Day. One guy said simply, “this country has been really good to me.” Indeed. I hope we don’t blow it in the coming days, weeks and months.