Entries: September 11th - 14th
Hours of commitment: 50
Entry no. 1
Set up was at 7 in the morning at an elementary school in Oakland. With it being bright and early, it was a tad confusing with everyone trying to introduce themselves whilst figuring out roles, I was deemed the judge by the captain of the group. As for responsibilities, we divided into groups to increase productivity. I was the youngest one there with all of them being parents, or for some, grandparents. I felt like a total youngster, although it was nice to be around people not my age. Not to mention when it came to tech, I would help those that were inexperienced. I was the “poll-pad leader” of the group. It was a considerably slow day, with only one voter. Although I got some of my English homework done, before leaving at 6:30 p.m, I managed to register to vote!
(Total Hours: 12 hours) Entry no. 3 &4Day ¾: Another 8:00 a.m. start, we’re all definitely familiar with one another, one poll worker, Morgana, bought Mcmuffins for everyone, which was much appreciated by everyone. Our set-up time definitely decreased by now, averaging about 15 minutes. This poll worker was giving me college advice, and also some comforting words regarding acceptance. I was working poll-pad for half the day, checking people in and asking if they’d like to digitally vote or otherwise. Then for the other half of the day, I will be outside underneath the sunshade, directing people where to get checked in. (Total Hours: 11) Day 4/4: It’s was the big day, the Government Recall Election of 2021, with a 6:00 a.m start we were ready to finally have a busy day. Our first voter came in pretty early (right as we opened). We set up way faster than usual, probably because we were stimulated by the doughnuts that Ruby, another poll worker, brought. It was relatively busy this day, with many eager voters coming in. I did poll-pad, poll-printer, and guided voters who were confused on how to properly answer. Even my mom and sister came into vote this day, and it was great to see them participate. We closed pretty late, since it was the big day, with closing around 9:25 p.m. (Total Hours: 16) |
Entry no. 2Instead of 7:00 a.m, the setup was at 8:00 a.m. since we got the hang of it. We all knew each other by now, especially after spending some 10 hours with each other. One of the other judges drew all of the other poll workers. The second day wasn’t too slow, with some voters coming in and out steadily. One of the poll workers offered me a passionfruit smoothie, which I thought was super sweet, another poll worker was talking about the VMA’s and we just had a great conversation throughout our Sunday. (Total Hours: 11) ReflectionWorking as a poll worker opened new lenses, that I didn't think a 17 year old could unlock. It was a memorable time, with the timely anecdotes, to the early mornings of set-up. I even registered to vote! To many, the questions on a ballot can seem straightforward, but to a minority, it can be difficult to comprehend such a question in a foreign language. I've had experience with helping those understand English, and that skill became quite handy when I became a poll worker. I've been asked a few times to help voters understand the process and how to answer the questions to their liking.
I encouraged others to vote as well, including my family and friends. It was fun to see those that I loved participate in a democracy. Enabling people to participate in a democracy couldn't have been more fun, and I couldn't be more grateful of the fellow poll workers I ended up working with! |