Election 2020: Poll Workers

(An edited version was published in the November-December 2020 edition of the Goodman Community Center Eastside News, Madison, Wisconsin)

 

Madison voters this November will choose the president, legislators, and local office holders. They'll also decide two school referendums. This ritual of democracy is made possible by poll workers.

 

Miki Glines, age 19, is an East High graduate, who has been a poll worker since she was 16. "I got started because I was interested in the process, especially since I hadn't voted yet. It was a way to make some money working for a good cause." This year, she's worked the February and August elections as well as Democracy in the Park in September. "There are more young people working. It's been different with the social distancing because of Covid-19. We've had a lot more people working so we could deal with curbside voting and keeping things sanitized." She notes, "When I worked in the park, a lot of people didn't have ballots to drop off but had questions. We were able to explain absentee balloting, which is good because it helps people to understand and have faith in the process. I hope that everybody votes and is able to trust that their ballots will be counted. Poll workers are going to be working hard to make sure every vote gets counted."

 

Ann Lacy is a retired librarian who started working the polls over ten years ago. "I think it's super important for everybody to vote, and so to facilitate in some small way other peoples' right to vote just felt like a dream thing to do. And, I have to admit, I like the money!" Lacy arrives at the Olbrich site at 6 a.m. to set up and stays until any remaining absentee ballots are counted by 9:30 p.m. "A February primary is usually pretty slow. For a presidential general election, you're busy almost all the time, either with the walk-in voters or processing absentee ballots." Lacy explains that absentee ballots are brought to the polling place on election day, walked through the same process, and counted along with regular ballots. "It's almost as if you're there, with your ballot." Lacy says, "I was brought up, like many, to vote in every election. My mom would take me with her when she voted, and I brought my kids when I voted."

 

Indeed, Lacy's son, Josef Klafka, is a 24-year-old software developer serving this year as a first-time volunteer poll worker. "I think this is the best way I could help our democracy function better." He volunteered for the August primary at a UW-Madison site before most students had returned to town. "The experience was positive even though it was a quiet day". For Democracy in the Park, "There was a steady trickle of people coming to register or drop off their absentee ballots. Before each election, there's a thorough one-hour training session with a member of the Clerk's office, and on election day senior poll workers can answer any questions." Klafka adds, "If you can, vote. If you feel comfortable, volunteer to be a poll worker."

 

This year, Madison has filled its quota of 6,000 poll workers, double the number as in past presidential elections due to Covid-19. To achieve this, the base pay of $14 per hour was boosted to $22. As of October 17th, 101,000 absentee ballots had been issued and 71,000 returned, according to City Clerk spokesperson Maggie McClain. Total turnout in the 2016 presidential general election was 154,000.

 

Sidebar

Madison polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday November 3rd. More information is available at https://www.cityofmadison.com/clerk/elections-voting. You can find your polling place or track your absentee ballot at https://myvote.wi.gov.

 

Polling places near the Goodman Community Center

Ward 16    Whitehorse Middle School            218 Schenk St

Ward 20    East Madison Community Center  8 Straubel Ct

Ward 28    Madison College – Commercial    2125 Commercial Ave.

Ward 29    East High School                            2222 E Washington Ave

Ward 30    Sherman Middle School                 1610 Ruskin St

Ward 32    Sherman Avenue UMC                  3705 N Sherman Ave

Ward 39    Hawthorne Library                         2707 E Washington

Ward 40    Olbrich Gardens                             3330 Atwood Ave

Ward 41    O'Keeffe Middle School                510 S Thornton Ave

Ward 42    Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center      504 S Brearly St

Ward 44    Tenney Park Pavilion                     402 N Thornton Ave

Ward 45    Lapham Elementary School           1045 E Dayton St