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By Ross Sherman RepresentUs Media Relations Manager |
November 30, 2022
Seeing all the news about election officials facing unprecedented pressure, harassment and even death threats, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into by signing up to be a poll worker. The active shooter video we had to watch during training wasn’t exactly… comforting.
But leaving the office at the Denver Botanic Gardens on election night, I came away with overwhelming appreciation and trust for our election system. I also came away with more faith in humanity.
Almost without exception, my neighbors who came in to vote were excited to make their voices heard and appreciative of our efforts. I was struck by how many people went out of their way to thank us. As the nice comments continued to flow in, I decided to start taking down what people were saying. (I was also tallying how many dogs came into the polling place. 34. 🐕)
Here are some highlights of what voters said to me and my fellow election workers during my two days working the polls:
- “Thanks for everything you’re doing.”
- “Thanks for making this quick and easy.”
- “Thank you for your service.”
- “Thank you for being here.”
- “You made it easy.”
- “Appreciate all your work and all your time today.”
- “Thanks for helping out today.”
- “Thank you, appreciate what you do.”
- “I’m just thankful to be allowed to vote.”
Last but not least, one voter ordered Voodoo Doughnuts off of Uber Eats and had it delivered to our polling place. It may have been a simple act of kindness, but it was truly touching. It was especially touching knowing the scrutiny election workers across the country have been under since 2020.
There’s a lot I could say about the couple days I spent working an election, from the specifics of my role as Voter Tech to the procedures we were required to follow to ensure fair and nonpartisan election administration.
But I simply want to say this: I’d be willing to bet that if everyone in America worked an election once in their life, there would be more trust in our system. If more people got offline and oversaw the process of democracy with their neighbors, there would be less partisanship and division. We would see each other as human beings, not political enemies.
So my challenge to everyone is: Work an election! Ask your family, friends, and everyone you know to join you. Every act of service in support of our democracy matters, even if it’s just one day. America truly needs all hands on deck to make our elections work. We can’t do it without you.
If you would like to join RepresentUs in supporting campaigns that bring power to the voters there couldn’t be a better time. A group of generous RepresentUs donors has pledged to MATCH every donation we receive before the end of the year, so don’t wait! Make your year-end gift today to maximize your impact on our movement!