Primary Concerns
Primary Concerns
So the primary season is upon us and people around the country are preparing to participate in the Democratic process of choosing our next President. Millions of dollars have been spent trying to get voters to come out to the polls. Billionaire candidates still lurk in the shallows, testing the waters to see if the temperature feels warm enough for them to wade in. Massive voter outreach, 24-7 news coverage, and what does all of it come down to, three great-grandmothers trying to figure out how to work the computers that actually register the voters.
In 2006 my wife and I spent nearly three hours in line waiting to vote. When we finally got to the front, we discovered that only one of the four computers being used to check voters in was functioning properly. Now we live in a relatively affluent suburban district just outside of Washington DC. This was not an issue of lack of resources, it was a problem caused by the fact that the three lovely senior citizens who had volunteered as election judges had no idea how to work the computers. On the spot my wife and I decided that, this year, instead of simply complaining about long lines to vote, we would volunteer as election judges instead. So when the Maryland primary rolls around, and again on November 2nd, we will be spending the day checking in voters, and hopefully, helping the wheels of democracy turn slightly more smoothly.
As an agency JCPA has a long history of working to support voter registration and protection. We've engaged on national legislation, encouraged local communities to hold registration drives, and educated people about their right to vote. We will of course continue that important work, but I would ask you to all join me in making a personal commitment and signing up to work as election judges. I probably spend 20 days a year sitting on the couch watching football. Our democracy is important enough to merit two days at the polling station.
So the primary season is upon us and people around the country are preparing to participate in the Democratic process of choosing our next President. Millions of dollars have been spent trying to get voters to come out to the polls. Billionaire candidates still lurk in the shallows, testing the waters to see if the temperature feels warm enough for them to wade in. Massive voter outreach, 24-7 news coverage, and what does all of it come down to, three great-grandmothers trying to figure out how to work the computers that actually register the voters.
In 2006 my wife and I spent nearly three hours in line waiting to vote. When we finally got to the front, we discovered that only one of the four computers being used to check voters in was functioning properly. Now we live in a relatively affluent suburban district just outside of Washington DC. This was not an issue of lack of resources, it was a problem caused by the fact that the three lovely senior citizens who had volunteered as election judges had no idea how to work the computers. On the spot my wife and I decided that, this year, instead of simply complaining about long lines to vote, we would volunteer as election judges instead. So when the Maryland primary rolls around, and again on November 2nd, we will be spending the day checking in voters, and hopefully, helping the wheels of democracy turn slightly more smoothly.
As an agency JCPA has a long history of working to support voter registration and protection. We've engaged on national legislation, encouraged local communities to hold registration drives, and educated people about their right to vote. We will of course continue that important work, but I would ask you to all join me in making a personal commitment and signing up to work as election judges. I probably spend 20 days a year sitting on the couch watching football. Our democracy is important enough to merit two days at the polling station.
