Election Inspection

I have never given much thought to the people who work at our polling station – the ones who check you in and give you the ballot, or the ones who help out at the machines. But after taking a 3-hour training session (and a test!) to become an election inspector, I have a newfound respect for the individuals who take on this civic duty.

Although I was warned by my friend Nanette, who acted as an election inspector in Florida, I didn’t believe that the process would be similar here in New York. The warning wasn’t about the duties (they’re fairly rote, unless an exception occurs), but about the hours – morning till night. I envisioned a shift of, I don’t know, 4 hours? 6 at the most? Nope. In New York, inspectors have to arrive at 5am, an hour before the polls open, and cannot leave until 10pm, an hour after the polls close. My mind went numb at the thought, but I was too embarrassed to get up and leave the training only 15 minutes into it. And once I heard what is involved, I understood the need for the long day, since any discontinuity would provide an opportunity for compromising the integrity of the process.

The Image Cast machine,
which keeps a paper
audit trail

The attention to detail, and allowances for all sorts of exceptions, like incorrect markings, over-voting, spoiled ballots, and ballot reconciliation, is impressive. New York also has several laws aimed at making voting accessible: machines that are handicap accessible (and not just for people in wheelchairs, but for the blind, as well), Spanish interpreters in districts with a certain percentage of Spanish speakers, and the lack of requirement for identification (other than a non-rigorous signature authentication). 

Very specific table setup instructions!

Although I went into the training thinking it was something I could volunteer for, it turns out that election inspectors are paid $11/hour. So now I actually think it’s my duty not to be an inspector, but to let those who needs that money earn it. My civic duty, which I take very much to heart, is to show up on Election Day, vote, and thank them for their service.

I certainly hope that this election brings record turnout for a mid-term (unlike a Republican associate’s actual out-loud hope for bad weather, which tends to decrease minority voting), and that the egregious Republican attacks on minority voting rights in states like Georgia, Kansas, and North Dakota are corrected by the 2020 election. It is mind-numbing that in the 21^stcentury voter-suppression is still a thing.