Polling Place

I had volunteered for the primary election in June 2016 and decided to give it a try again. Training included three hours in person and three hours online, starting with a video about defusing angry or violent voters. 😬

There was a lot to learn,

but it made more sense when I was there in person.

The first day was very quiet and I had time to read and crochet.
On election day it was so busy that it was hard to take a break.

My tasks included guiding people to right place, depending whether they were dropping off a ballot or voting in person. I helped deal with people waiting in line, which happened briefly a few times on election day. Only once did I have to ask someone to remove something that had a candidate's name, which is considered electioneering. I taught people how to use the electronic voting tablet and helped with technical issues (anyone is allowed to help except an employer or a union rep). Mostly I checked people in and handed them their ballots. I did make one mistake, which meant the person could not track her ballot online. Not great, but not bad for forty hours of work.

The hardest part was listening to repeated concerns about fraud when I was there doing my part to ensure the system was fair. The other people working the polling place were a mix of parties, ages, ethnicities, and were also a mix of volunteers and paid workers. I am not sure if this helped people feel more comfortable with the process. 

All voters were mailed a ballot that could be returned through USPS with postage already paid, it could be returned to special drop boxes at places like libraries, and it could be returned to a polling place. Some polling places were open eleven days and others only four days, including 7a-8p on election day. Anyone could vote at any polling place in all of Los Angeles County (about 4700 square miles, larger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined). Despite that two sets of people came after we were closed and it was sad to turn them away.

If I could choose all the same people to work with then I would definitely say yes to volunteer again in November. I don't think I have ever been surrounded by so many calm, patient, and helpful people. There was not one lost temper or raised voice the whole time!

Mock Election

D. and I took a non-U.S. citizen and someone under voting age with us to the mock election so we could all test the new equipment. We received ballots after checking in and they received provisional ballots.

No waiting to get a voting machine.

I found the touch screen easy to use. The only complaint was that although I could make the font larger I could not make it smaller in order to get all the candidates (best beach in LA Co., best museum in LA Co., etc.) fit onto the screen without scrolling down.

You can learn a lot more from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk video and web page. Of course you can still vote by mail, sticker included.

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

January tidbits

Visiting labs at Harvey Mudd College

Nice day for a ride

It was slow, except for these last few pieces!

Go Hens!

I learned a bit about the plans for 2020. Fingers crossed it all works out.

What I brought back from Ohio.

Cheering for Sagehens at an away game

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!