It’s Election Day here in the U.S. I write this with some trepidation. There is so much misinformation, so much distrust, so much othering of each other. It is also an extremely important Midterm election, with a lot at stake.
But I’m not going to dive down that dark rabbit hole, where I’ve been spending all too much time of late. Instead, I want to express my gratitude to all of the citizens around this country who, despite some significant risks to their personal safety (a tragic and pathetic reality), are staffing election sites today. I have several friends here who are poll workers. They do an incredible public service.
From them, I’ve learned about the meticulous process of counting ballots, recording that data, sorting ballots by ward and precinct, and securely delivering the ballots to the City Clerk’s office. It’s a long, rigorous endeavor that takes many, many hours. To these civic-minded volunteers, I say a heartfelt thank you.
We have a lot to be grateful for in this country. It’s up to each and every one of us to make sure we participate by voting—and by respecting the election volunteers who give of their time and effort to ensure a fair and accurate count of those votes. Without their commitment, especially in times like these, we would be in dire straits, indeed.
Evelyn Herwitz blogs weekly about living fully with chronic disease, the inside of baseballs, turtles and frogs, J.S. Bach, the meaning of life and whatever else she happens to be thinking about at livingwithscleroderma.com. Please view Privacy Policy here.
Image: Elliott Stallion
Thanks for the shout-out, Evie. I recommend that if anyone is losing faith in our democracy, they should volunteer to work the polls. The work is exhausting but oh so rewarding. You will see jubilant young first-time voters. You will hear the many languages spoken in your area as grown children help their frail parents vote. You will cheer for people with significant physical challenges making their way to the polling place. You will bond with the varied crew who make up your fellow poll workers. And you will be accompanied by police officers on the alert for violent disruptions. I was thankful for their presence and thankful that where I worked, they didn’t need to intervene.
So great to hear! Thanks for your service to our community. 🙂