I worked at an Election Pole all day Tuesday. My day started at 4:30 am and ended at 10:30 pm. I heard it all yesterday. Here were some of my highlight. We had a lot of first time votes. Totally confused as to what they needed to do to vote. But they knew who and for what they were voting for. They were so proud to be voting, they announced it to everyone. Some of the funniest things that happened at our Election Pole.
A little boy came in with his dad to vote: The little boy was more excited then the dad I think. He must have been about 5-6 years old. I handed his dad his Ballot and the little boy asked him who was he going to vote for, George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. Everyone around the area started laughing. Then he told his dad, I wish I could vote too. I can’t wait till I turn 18.
I had a first time voter who was so nervous he was shaking the entire time. We had 12 voting booths at our location at some points we had a line of about 12-15 waiting in line for a booth. The wait for this young man must of seamed like an eternity. I told him to make sure he takes his picture with his “I Voted” Sticker outside the building. He said that was his plan. Unfortunately you can’t take pictures inside a poling location or I would of taken one of him in line.
Then there were the two girlfriends that came in together, one a first timer and the other a season voter. Pens seam to grow legs and walk off and out the building. We actually ran out of pens and we had to have more brought in. The New Voter went into her voting area to vote and accidentally took the pen with her. Her girlfriend went into that same booth after her to vote and noticed the pen not there. In the silence of everyone voting. You hear this lady shout out getting everyone’s attention, “Excuse lady, But I think you stole the pen!” Her friend not know it was her girlfriend making the announcement froze in her place looked around and saw everyone staring at her. She took the pen back and noticed it was her girlfriend who made the comment and everyone started laughing. The comment made by the embarrassed friend after that was “I guess your walking home!” Everyone after that made a comment to us as they left that they made sure they left the Pen behind at the booth.
These were just a few of the funny moments.
We had over a 1000 people come through our pole. We had quite a few people who were at the wrong pole. Many who were mailed a ballot and didn’t bring it with them so that they could surrender it so they could vote in person. Then there were those that thought they could bring their registration form to vote, turn it in, and then vote. There were others who came from other counties and wanted to vote. We called these voters our naughty voters. They just didn’t get it done in time to vote. These are the ones we usually have problems with. They blame everyone except themselves.
One gentleman made his girlfriend look like she made the mistake because she only change her home address, not his when they moved in together. My comment to him. This is why God made women. To take care of all those things men forget to do. She just laughed. I hope he made it to his pole. He was wearing a Nixon shirt.
People who came in to surrender their mail in ballot so they could vote were upset because the lines at times were long. We told them fill out your mail in ballot and just drop it in the box for mail in ballots. They were out in just a few minutes.
People are funny.
Our highlight was when we finally closed the Pole at 8 pm and we’re loading up the car to take everything over to the election office and we are being told that Obama was declared the winner around 6 pm our time. I really think it is not fair for those people who vote in California Alaska and Hawaii to announce the winner before our poles close. I know it is all based on Electoral Votes, But I feel the announcements should not be released until after the final pole closes. I can understand why people feel there votes don’t count. I think people on the east coast should be patient to give everyone a fair vote on the west coast and not post any results until the last pole closes. So people have to wait till the next day to find out who wins. At least the American People will feel that they were really a part of the voting system.
