Polling Place, again

In March I wrote about volunteering to work four days in the polling place during the primary election. 

For the general election I asked to be closer to home and was assigned the local school district office. It the same place I go to observe the school board meetings so I familiar with both the building and the people work there.

We made it into the local paper!

I learned that Monday was Election Hero Day

Doing my part

Yard Signs

 

I have not seen Trump signs in town, but saw a flag on a car.

The World Is Run By Those Who Show Up

 It is election time in California.

We now have three registered voters in the house and received three sample ballots. I think that is so we can each mark our own ballot our own way. It is not such a big deal with only two questions, but when there are many judges and lots of ballot measures it helps to mark things before voting.

Our ballots (and stickers) arrived on Monday.

Today we received a single information guide. We can share it!

California citizens who will be 18 years old by September 14 and want to receive a ballot in the mail can register as late as August 14.

Nope

 I was fascinated to see this picture

and to learn that a group of Harvestmen,
aka daddy longlegs, is called a nope.

If you would rather see videos are there plenty, including this one

 

I have seen only a couple nopes around here.

October leftovers

 Almost all my pictures from October were taken at work. 

But I have a few others.

I was so proud to catch and release a house centipede
(instead of catching and leaving it for someone else to release).

I am still collecting sidewalk and curb stamps. I like this one
because I also have one from 2000 that is Grigolla & Sons.

I went to a voting center to turn in my ballot.
They gave me a sticker, which I proudly wore AND
I still have the sticker that came with my ballot so I
can wear that on election day. My lucky day!

Mail

The other day A. received thirteen pieces of college mail.

All the mail we received today was either college or election mail.

I wonder if we will have any mail at this time next year.

Election Day

Not here, although we did just reach the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment.

AMENDMENT XIX
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Election results in Denmark

Why do some people get their own pole and others have two or three people?

Khader is a Danish-Syrian member of the Danish Parliament with the
Conservative People's Party, but used to be with the
Social Liberal Party and then founded the New Alliance. 

If you look carefully in the background above the
red mailbox you might see the circus advertisement.

This is the only one I saw with a message, which I think says
willing for plain talk and dialogue or maybe ready for talk and dialogue.

There was an article on the election before the results were in and this was written afterward. It looks like the prime minister will resign and the left will return to power.

If you are interested here are a couple more articles (Google Translate helps!).
The Local
CPH Post
Jyllands-Posten
Politiken

I Voted!

When I got an email reminding military and overseas voters to return their ballots I knew there was a problem. Because California changed its rules in order to increase voter turnout there had been no election last November because it was an odd year. The most recent time I had voted had been when we were overseas and I hadn't changed my address back to the US. I didn't have a ballot to return.

I went to the polls on election day and they asked me to turn in my mail-in ballot in order to vote. When I was unable to do that they gave me a pink envelope with a form to complete and a regular ballot. After voting my ballot was placed in the pink envelope and I was told my ballot would be counted within the thirty-day limit and I could check the status online.

After thirty days I did check and the site said my ballot was counted. I also changed my address back to California and made the big decision to permanently vote by mail. I figure I can turn my ballot in at a polling place if I want. If I am working the election I don't have to worry about making time to vote.

All that was great and then I got mail!

Now I am set for November. If only people would stop asking me to run for office!

Civic duty

Last election there was a flyer on the table asking for volunteers.  I signed it and forgot it.  A few months ago I saw Los Angeles Registrar pop up on the caller id and was curious so I answered it.  The person asked if I would still like to volunteer and I thought, "The primary is in June.  Who will possibly show up?" and said yes.  She asked if I would like to be an inspector (one step up from clerk) and I suggested that she call back if she were desperate.  She said she was desperate now.  Meet your new inspector!

I attended the training and then went back for a repeat class since there was so much to learn.  Did you know wearing a button promoting your favorite candidate is considered electioneering?  Did you know you could bring someone with you to help you cast your ballot as long as it is not your boss or union leader?  Did you know if you make a mistake you get two more chances?

bedtime reading

And then it was election day!  Three precincts were housed in this fire station.

photo credit Brian van der Brug for the L.A. Times 11/2012
I wonder what it would be like to work at a swimming pool!

This was my view most of the day.

The papers wrote about problems some people had (here and here).  We had problems, but I had nothing to compare it to so I just went about dealing with each issue as it occurred.  

Examples include people being listed as having received a ballot in the mail but the voter did not receive it (solution: person votes provisionally and registrar verifies that no mail-in ballot was received.)  The country does count verified provisional ballots before it certifies the election.  Another problem was almost running out of Democratic Party ballots, which we were told would not be delivered from Norwalk.  There was an emergency plan, but in the end we had fourteen unused ballots.  Whew.

The most frequent question is whether I would do it again.  It felt like an enormous responsibility, but it was helpful to talk to a fellow volunteer who said in all her years this was the second most difficult election she has worked, so how much harder could it be next time?  (Just kidding, I would never say that out loud!)  We'll see!

Democracy

I have some vague memory of checking a box on a form that asked if I would like to work at a polling place.  When the call came from the L.A. County Registrar asking if I were available to work as an inspector for the primary I suggested calling back if they were desperate.  I was told that they're desperate.

The first batch of information came today.

How intimidating can it be if it includes a crossword puzzle?
I wonder if they have someone who evaluates each puzzle like this guy does?

Election Day

I haven't seen any yard signs yet, but November elections are on my mind because yesterday was the deadline to file to run if an incumbent had not filed.

From lavote.net

Registration ProcessThe candidate filing period for the November 3, 2015 Local & Municipal Consolidated Elections commences on Monday, July 13, 2015 through Friday, August 7, 2015. If a declaration of candidacy for an incumbent is not filed by August 7, the filing period will be extended from Saturday, August 8 through 12. The extension period does not apply when there is no incumbent up for re-election and the office is listed as "Vacant".

Locally this means that there will be no school board election.  One incumbent declared candidacy but the other did not.  A former board member also declared candidacy and these two people will be on the board without being elected.

I have mixed feelings about this since I think highly of both candidates and I know it frees their time and money for other activities.  It is the second consecutive election in our town (the first being for city council) and I mourn the loss of a candidates' forum, which is a chance to hear issues discussed and meet with other people who care about the process.

On the other hand, I do not want to run for election so I cannot be critical of those who feel the same way.

Vote

It is election season in Europe.

Not produced in the U.S. nsfw
http://www.mx.dk/nyheder/danmark/story/15281148