Poll Workers For Democracy

Nancy Schaeffer, poll worker.

It’s one of the most under appreciated jobs in the world. The people who do it get paid practically nothing. They don’t do it for the money. They do it so you and I can vote.

But poll workers are thinking twice about working the polls these days. When the former president of the United States and his attorney falsely accuse poll workers of manipulating ballots, the effect is chilling. Ask Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss of Fulton County, Georgia. The threats and harassment just aren’t worth it.

I recently interviewed Nancy Schaeffer, a woman who’s worked the polls in my ward for over 30 years. She says it’s an honor to help the people in her community, regardless of their party affiliation, cast their ballots. Thank you, Nancy, for waking up early on election day to open the polls. Thank you for checking my name in the log. Thank you for giving me a ballot and directing me to a quiet place where I can participate in this quintessentially American privilege. Thank you for doing it all with a smile and a commitment to the highest standards of ethics and nonpartisanship. May your decades of poll work be rewarded with leaders who uphold the principles of democracy as you do. May you be shielded from those, posing as “patriots,” who know nothing of the concept and its requirements.

My husband and I will be working the polls next year with Nancy. Our system of government is on the line. We need everyone to work for democracy.

~CK