Are you afraid?

I recently just finished working at an Early Voting election site as a poll worker. The two questions I have been asked repeatedly by friends and family when they found out I was doing this are: “Are you afraid?” “Isn’t that dangerous?”

My answer has been consistently the same: No.

I know that we are lucky here in North Carolina to not have the problems that some states are reported to have. We are fortunate to have at least a semi-sane electorate.

I am grateful to my home state for allowing Early Voting, as well as Mail-In Ballots and of course, voting on Election Day. This year we had twelve Early Voting locations here in Buncombe County. Over 30% of registered voters in our county cast their ballots during the Early Voting period (October 20-November 5). Voting should be easy and encouraged. I am grateful for our Buncombe County Board of Elections which, in my humble opinion, is truly superior. They work hard to make sure that our elections are fair, transparent and honest. All poll workers must go through training prior to serving as a poll worker even if you have been working the polls for thirty years. You must re-train and take an oath of office every year.

Have I seen anything that concerns me? No. Absolutely nothing.

Here’s what I have seen:

I have seen systems in place which make it impossible to rig an election. Not just unlikely but impossible.

I have seen elderly people, many needing a cane to walk, make a determined effort to come in to vote. When I thanked one man for voting, he said to me, “Of course I am going to vote. People died to make it possible for me to vote.”

I have seen old people and young people (some who are voting for the first time ever) come in to vote. Our voters have been black, white, and all shades of brown; young and old; mobile and challenged; people without children, people with babies in arms and many bringing their older children along so they can see the voting process and talk about its importance with their parent or grandparent when they leave the voting site.

There have been times I have felt slightly choked up with tears to see the efforts some make to be sure they can cast their vote. I have watched adult children accompany an elderly parent who would not dream of missing the opportunity to cast their vote. I have watched people in wheelchairs make it to the poll. People have driven to the polls and walked to the polls; a few have biked or stopped in to vote in the middle of their morning run. Some came on their lunch break. There have been bald voters and voters with purple hair. Some have worn masks, many have not. Sometimes people have walked in with no wait at all; other times people stood in line in the rain to cast their ballot. With only one or two grumpy exceptions, everyone has been respectful and happy to have the privilege to vote. We must not take any privilege like this for granted. We also need to be sure we do not fall into the trap of making it sound like the whole of our country is in voting disarray. It is not. I am an eyewitness.

Working at an Early Voting Election Site has made me more hopeful, not just for this election, but for our country as a whole. We hear a lot of negative talk and hate speech these days, but what I have seen with my own eyes these past weeks of Early Voting is that most people love their country and their neighbor and they believe that voting matters, that each of us has this opportunity to make a difference. Our vote is our voice.

If you have not yet voted, I hope you will make it your top priority to vote on Election Day. There really are no good excuses to not vote. Here in North Carolina the polls open at 6:30 AM on Tuesday, November 8th, Election Day, and stay open until every person in line at 7:30 PM gets to cast their ballot. This means that for most people you can vote before you go to work or after you get off work that day. Yes, I wish Election Day was a national holiday but right now it is not so we have to deal with this.

I recognize that it may not be so easy to vote where you live and I honestly hope we can change that in the future. I believe that voting is our best avenue to justice for all.

We must never forget those words which are so very true: people have literally died to make voting possible for me and for you. Please, vote.

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