I have just been approved to be an election judge for the next

[coffeenap]

round. I want to collect your advice. I requested the ballot box position and apparently was accepted for that too. What can I legally do
to prevent theft? I live in Illinois in the district where we actually elected a new Dem. to the House. (we're so proud..)

[leftyandproud]

1. follow the rules. Simple as that.

They should explain the law to you before you start.

[coffeenap]

2. How come it didnt work last time? nt

[seriousstan]

3. In Ohio we don't request positions. I haven't ever heard of that.

We also have both judges and one presiding judge. Usually positions are assigned at the poll according to what people feel like doing.

I have worked the polls for almost 20 years and the best advice for noobs is....listen to the vets. We have been doing this for years and love to see new faces but hate to see know-it-alls. You are in for a long day and will notice that there is a lot of camaraderie. Get along and the others will make you feel right at home. You will notice that it really isn't a very political job. It is more of a civic duty thing. Both Dems and Reps get along when the are working the polls.

I think you will be amazed at the view from the other side.

If there is anything I can help you with, don't hesitate to ask.

One secret of the trade is to fill bottles with water and freeze them overnight. You will have a steady stream of ice water the next day.

As for theft? Follow the rules and go to the training. Ask questions of your fellow workers. Everyone there is there to help people vote.

Have a great day and please post your experience here. I can't wait to read about it.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

4. I don't know about Illinois but in Texas you have to attend

election school prior to serving. At least that was what we had to do when I was a Presiding Judge, it may have changed now. If you do attend the school there it should explain it all for you.

[Yupster]

6. I used to be a presiding judge for years

I made one mistake that I still think about today.

There were two different ballots. There were about 600 ballots and about 20 of a different ballot.

The 20 were for a different congressional district, but everything else the same.

Only one person voted with the second ballot and I gave him the first ballot by mistake.

I had to confess to the downtown people that I screwed up. Lucky it wasn't a one vote margin, but it was the only time my numbers didn't justify. When I finally justified it, I got even sicker when I realized the mistake I made.

My advice. Listen to the workers with the blue hair. They've seen it all, and if you're not sure of anything, don't worry about time. Call the downtown people and get the right answer so you don't feel sick at 8:00 like I did.

[Igel]

5. You'll be trained.

Take munchies along with you.

It's a long, boring, long, tiresome, boring day. Unless you're in a busy precinct, in which case it's a somewhat less long, frantic, tiresome day.

Above all, do not discuss politics. If voters want to discuss politics, stare at them blankly. (After 2 hours, staring blankly won't be a problem.)

[Yupster]

7. Agree about the talking politics

By the end of the day you'll know everyone's grandkids' names.

It's very annoying when there's a jerk in line that has to push the limits of political discussion.

I used to coach school chess, and the parents were the biggest problem. I had that same feeling a few times as an election judge with someone in line or even worse a campaign worker outside who would constantly try to break the rules and come inside prostelitizing.

I remember telling one lady about 50 years old "You know the rules. Stop being such a jerk," after putting up with her for about four hours.

I never called the police on anyone though.

[lonestarnot]

8. Sit on the box like you're hatching it!

[demodonkey]

9. You'll be tired, but try to be genuinely excited about ...

voting. It's catching; people will catch your enthusiasm!

Go to the pollworker training and learn all you can. If you don't understand something MAKE the trainers help you to understand. Know your machines. Know all about your provisionals and absentees and how to handle each type of ballot.

HELP people vote. Learn your stuff and be ready to answer questions; please don't be one of the stonewalling pollworkers we hear so much about. Be ready to show them how to mark the ballot (how, not who for, lol) or how to use the machine.

Be prepared for emergency. Such as what do you do if ALL your machines break down at the same time? Don't laugh -- KNOW. Anything could happen.

Have a map of neighboring precincts (or your town, with the precincts marked) so that you will be able to help lost voters find their poll. PLEASE DON'T EVER just send somebody away without at least TRYING to help them find a way to vote.

As others have said, do NOT be political (even though this can be hard, especially was this last time!) Just be neutral and friendly. Don't allow anybody else including voters to be political in the poll. Don't allow any candidates handouts to accumulate on the sign-in table (this happens a lot, people leave them when they sign in.) I am thinking about a recycling basket for next time (in honor of the Greens doing the Recount, but won't tell the voters that!)

Be prepared to be shocked by how little some people know about voting.

Bring a coffee pot. And lunch. And something to read when it is slow. And be prepared for EVERY voter who comes in while you are trying to eat or read to say something ignorant like "oh-oh, you're goofing off on the job, I caught ya'!" The always say something like that and oooooh do they think that is witty. Don't strangle anybody.

At the end of the day, when you are tiredest, comes the most important part -- counting, or getting materials ready to go to the BOE. Please DO NOT cut any corners no matter how tired you are at this point. This is when/where a lot of things happen that could be "fraud" but are probably just cutting corners to get out of there sooner. Don't opt for getting out sooner, please opt for getting it right. (This is sometimes an issue with the "old timers" they want to do it the quick and easy way they've always done it and may not take kindly to a whipper-snapper newbie wanting to slow down and follow every rule.) But after working on the 2004 Recount I can say that cutting corners is one of the worst things a Precinct Board or a BOE can do. Can really screw things up in ways nobody intends.

Good luck, have fun, be a PROUD POLLWORKER -- you will be on the FRONT LINE in our fight for Democracy!

PS -- If anything I can answer or do to help, let me know... I have been a Pennsylvania Pollworker since the 1980s!

[flyarm]

10. i was a poll watcher this time...does little good!!

i was a poll watcher/judge at large..means i can poll watch anything anywhere in my county.. this time for fla primary , 2 weeks early vote and general election..and little good it did ..it was still stolen with many of us here in fla..many were lawyers too..in one soe office for early vote they kept us from even seeing the machines..and we were told we could not talk to any voters...the nasty jerk running that office did everything he could to try to intimidate the pollwatchers...and the law was on their side!! i saw a retarded girl pull the whole tape out of the back of a sequioa machine and they just stuffed it back in and let voters keep voting over my objections ..until i got a lawyer there!
but honestly..the steal happens and there is nothing you can do but take alot of notes...and make sure lawyers get the notes...my notes were taken by the kerry campaign and nothing was done about the stuff i saw ..and experienced..there was intimidation on lines...its all in the tabulators..and you can't see that poll watching/judging..you can keep track of how many peoplke have problems getting their candidate to register...but this time nothing was done with that info..the lawyers i worked with were told to destroy their notes and reports a couple days after election by kerry campaign...many were mad and disgusted!! and all my records disappeared..for 2 weeks of poll watching..2 weeks at least 12-14 hrs each day..all dissapeared!!

i will suggest ..what i learned this time..no one ..i mean no one will get my records..and notes..if they want them they will get copies only!!
as the kerry campaign staffers took all my stuff and i have no records!!

so thats my suggestion..keep your records , keep great notes..but turn them over to no one!! give them copies only!!

good luck...its alot of work and a great civil duty to perform...thank you for volunteering!!
i will be training this time as a pollworker as here in fla so many of ours are too darned old to know if hanky panky is going on..and they waste alot of working peoples time as they are too old and incompetant to do this any longer!..but i applaude those who try..but i also realized this year how the repugs have the poll working jobs under control..there are many dems that need to be poll workers so we are all represented!!

we need to walk the walk...,and not leave it up to repugs to corner the market!!

fly:hi: