Life as an Election Judge

The biggest deal about being an Election Judge is that you work all day. That's the worst of it. I was happily able to spend the day after Election Day sleeping late, but I could have managed a real workday if I needed to. Here are the highlights of my big day:

• 4:40 a.m. - I'm the first person in my precinct to arrive! Everyone is already at the other precinct and they're completely set up. They do not seem to care that I'm wandering around unable to do anything. Everything is locked up.
• 5:15 a.m. - We start setting up, which isn't too hard. The biggest challenges come from people being sleepy.
• 6 a.m. - The polls are open! Our first voter used the touchscreen - she was the only one to do so all day! (Touchscreen voting isn't any better than traditional ballot voting, plus it takes forever. We are told to "discourage" it, but if someone wants to do it, it's allowed.)
• 7 a.m. - We've got some flow, everything is moving along. Lots of voters. Plus coffee and donuts from the Democratic Party. Thanks, friends!
  
• Silly republican judge seems to bother people more than necessary. I ignore him for the most part. He makes people fill out annoying paperwork which seems to follow the rules, but also seems to be stupid. One voter tells me, "That's how republicans are," as he rolls his eyes and completes his affidavit. Ha!
• Pizza for lunch. Yum.
  
• Fellow election judges are much hungrier than I am. They eat almost all the pizza and donuts throughout the day.
• Mid-day I do some homework. We have a steady flow of voters, but no lines until about 5 p.m.
• Lines are not too bad, mostly longer because of a few provisional ballots and incredibly confused voters. One lived in Berwyn.
  
• Person who voted already comes back concerned that she wasn't supposed to vote at our polling place. Republican judge wants to give her provisional ballot. NO! I say. I tell concerned woman that she'll have to sort it out another day - you can't un-vote!
  
• 6:45 p.m. B comes to vote! I try to challenge his citizenship, voter status, identity and signature. He still gets to vote.
  
• 7 p.m. - Polls are closed. Everyone is very concerned about dismantling voting booths.
• Paperwork takes forever. It's not complicated, but it's a lot of paperwork. All the judges have to sign just about everything. Closing paperwork should have been started at like 2 p.m., it seems.
  
• 8 p.m. - Almost out the door, everyone seems annoyed with each other. But everyone says goodbye and hopes to see everyone else next election.
• 8:30 p.m. - For an extra $20 I help deliver the results - as messy as they are - to the Receiving Station. It's a testament to the complexity of organization. All the envelopes we put together are sorted with every other precinct in the ward's. There are about 30 people working to organize and receive all the stuff we bring. We wait in line for our checklist to be completed. I'm completely amazed at how many people it takes to run an election. Wow.
• 9:15 p.m. - Home! B is in the kitchen making dinner. Hooray!