How I Felt About Being an American Election Official in the year 2000

Election Day

By Nancy Sherwood ©

November 7, 2000

 

(Before we knew how long it would take to have a new President)

 

I am emotionally and physically exhausted. Today I worked as an Election  Officer. We arrived at the polls at 5:00 AM to get sworn in and set up the  machinery. The polling place I worked at was Armstrong Elementary School in  North Reston. We all left after 8:30 p.m. At my polling place there were about 15 of us Election Officials.

 I won't go into tedious detail of all the things we all did today at the  polls. There were some people who were irate that at the busiest times they  had to wait for 45 minutes. There were those young people who are just old  enough to vote in their first election. There were the newly naturalized US  citizens who were also voting for the first time. The Chinese couple who  took pictures of each other going into the voting booth and asked an  election official to take their picture. The Iranian man who said he hopes  that one day Iran will have free democratic elections. The recently married  women who were not sure if they were still registered in their maiden name  or their new name. The young mother with her four day old baby and the  pregnant woman who was supposed to be on bed rest (she got to go to the front of the line). The little children who were so excited to be able to  go into the voting booth with their parents. The autistic young man who's  father helped him vote. The woman with her elderly mother who asked me to  help her mother keep from falling over while she voted. The husbands and  wives who saw that their spouse had already been there- or not.  The widow, voting for the first time as a widow seeing the absence of  her husband’s  name, another reminder of the permanence of his death.  The woman  in the wheel chair- we have adjustable voting booths to accommodate. The  blind man who's assistant helped him. The eight grader taking pictures of  his mom going into the voting booth and coming out- a Social Studies  assignment. .  

The smiles of satisfaction. The people saying how proud they were to be  able to vote. Everyone wanted a sticker that said "I Voted". 

 My children came to see “Mom the Election Official”.  What better way for them to learn than seeing democracy at work.

  I stood for hours. My back and feet hurt. I sat for hours looking up names  and checking them off. My eyes hurt. My face hurts from smiling at so many  wonderful people. All of us working today were totally exhausted and yet  exhilarated at the same time. None of us took very long breaks for lunch or rest. We could have, but we all shared the feeling of being a part of something important and didn't want to miss a minute.

 I don't know if my candidate will win. Yes I do care. But I know that I  did my bit. I have so many choices and such freedom as an American that I  count myself among those lucky enough to call this country my home.

 Am I pooped? You bet. Would I do it again? In a heart beat!