2002-11-07 - 9:05 a.m.

Working the Elections: Why do I do it?

Tuesday I worked the elections again. I've been doing this since 1998 and plan to continue to spend an entire day volunteering at the local elections as long as I'm healthy. This year I was assigned to Bronco and Cloud's precinct.

Few people volunteer to work the polls. There is such a shortage in the United States, that many counties (elections are run at the county level � which is a concept that was difficult to explain to the Europeans) rely on senior citizens and high school students to work the polls. Many of these high school students can't even vote, and yet they wake up at 5 AM and work until 9 PM non-stop because they want to vote.

What is sad about this is the fact that they want to vote and are willing to work all day so other people can vote, and yet voter turnout in the United States is low. The precinct I was working in had less than 50% turnout for what was a large election. We had several propositions and all of the statewide offices like governor up for grabs.

Mistaken

I know I look young, but I always thought Cricket was teasing me when she said her Dutch friends thought I was in High School. Three of the eight people working in our two combined precincts were from Davis High (all of them were really cool and on the ball too). Anyway, when people would walk in the room they had heard that our polling place had three high school students (which is more than normal), so they naturally walked up to me out of all the eight people in the room and asked me how I liked Davis High.

Yeah, it is flattering when people mistake me for grad student (done that, been there), or if they even go as far as to mistake me for being a college senior or junior. But to think that I'm 17 years old! I'm 30. I'm sure that if you cut me opened and counted my rings, that I have 30 big fat ones (I drink lots of water, so no danger of thin drought induced rings).

Why Do I Do This?

Last night one of the guys on my bus who votes in the precinct I was working in asked me, "Why do you do it?" The answer I gave him is "Because the right to vote is extremely important to me. I once was disenfranchised in Texas and had to have the League of Women Voter's help me get my ballot. I want to make sure that doesn't happen again."

It was a long answer, but it really is the heart of the matter. I actually believe in the ideals of the United States. I don't agree with my elected (or in the case of the current President, appointed) leaders. I don't even respect most Americans. I'm sorry, but most Americans are lazy and selfish. This includes most of the goth / industrial Americans I know.

But I still believe that people whom I don't respect and people whom disagree with me (some of whom I do respect) should be given the same basic freedoms as I have. I've noticed before that many veterans are willing to serve and possibly give their lives so people like me can bitch and complain, I hardly think volunteering twice a year to sit in a cold garage for hours compares, but the motivation is the same. Democracies don't work when you sit at home with your hand stapled to your head.

LISTENING TO: :Wumpscut: Liquid Soylent

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