A Day in the Life of a Poll Worker

[Elysha]

This election has been one the most historic ones we've seen. I wanted to contribute to the election somehow because I am not eligible to vote. (I miss the deadline by a month and 26 days.) So when my international relations teacher asked who wanted to volunteer to work the polls I immediately said yes.

Little did I know I was not the person handing out stickers or greeting people when they walked in, I was going to learn how to help people with the actual voting machines. A couple weeks before election day I had to go to a 6 hour training to learn how to work the polling machines.

The day before the election I started to freak out. I was going to be the one who would have to fix any problem the machines had. I was going to be the one to ruin the election for Florida. I know a little melodramatic, but it is a big deal.

OK election day:
I woke up at 4:30 am: the earliest I've been up in...well...forever. I got 3 hours of sleep and had a 15 hour election day ahead of me. It was pitch black outside. I finally arrived at my polling station in Sunrise/Tamarac at the Westpine Middle School at 5:30 am. Already there was a line of people outside who wouldn't be voting for another hour and a half.

Then I set up the machines, which is probably the most difficult part of being a VST (Voting Service Technician). I ate a yogurt and a bunch of coffee i brought and I'm all set to go.

7 am: Polls open
People flood the room and automatically the atmosphere was optimistic. We can change the country today was the feeling I got. It was very exciting in the beginning. All kinds of different people came together to voice their opinion. I was expecting a rush of young people but at my polling place there were only a few young voters that showed up. It might have just been the location but I was a little disappointed.

I love America. This is what America is about - voicing your opinion despite your ethnicity or occupation. I saw white, black, middle eastern, asian, and hispanic people all ecstatic to vote. I especially loved when I saw people who were dedicated to get out to the polls: people with broken legs on crutches. However, there were some sour pusses. Some people did not like the machines and "wanted to go back to the old ways". Some were just plain rude.

Have you ever felt like you've said something 300 hundred times over? Well I did on election day, literally. I had to give each person instructions on how to put their ballots through the machine. I don't know how I kept my energy up, but I did. A few people said some funny things to me. This one guy told me he voted for Bush.

7 pm: Close polls
By the end of the day I had lost much of my energy; I had been working for 13 hours straight. Now we cannot just close at 7, we have to wait for anyone that was in line at 7 to finish voting. Finally by 7:30 we could start taking everything and close the machines. I didn't get out till 8:30. I was utterly exhausted but I would do it again in another four years. I really feel like I took a part in this historic election.

Then I went to Starbucks, got my free coffee, and passed out in my bed at home.

[teenlink south florida]

wow, you are dedicated! after an election like that one, simply standing in line for an hour or two to vote is going to be easy! :)

[Amirah Aziz]

OMG!!! This is exactly how I felt, lol, at least you weren't alone! But i enjoyed it too :)

[Elysha]

You worked the polls?