Small Town Voting

Voting in a small town: I drove to the old town hall today (which is right next to the new town hall) to vote. I walked in and saw I was the only person there voting. I went up to the voter check-in desk where there were two very old ladies sitting with their printed name lists. I handed the first woman my Driver’s License and said my name (as the sign there told me to do.) The second lady asked me to repeat my name so I very loudly (so everyone in the room could hear) told her my name. The first woman briefly looked at the ID and then placed it in front of the second lady. Then the second lady (the same one who couldn’t hear my name) said I had to show a picture ID. I told her that I had handed it to the first woman when I arrived to their desk and that the first woman had then put it directly in front of her (the second woman speaking to me.) Then the first woman asked me for my address (which she should have seen when looking at my Driver’s License) so I told her my address. The second woman gave me a paper ballot, said “Happy Voting” and I went into the booth.

In my town you have to vote on paper ballots and you have to use pencil (that way it’s easier for them to change your vote so the “right” person wins :-) ) Even though I have been voting in this town for almost 10 years now (every March and November) it still amazes me that there are oftentimes only one person (not one person per party, but one person total) for a position – today was no different.

After I finished with my ballot I then went to the voter check-out desk to say my name (as the sign told me to do) to two different women (one of them is the Town Clerk.) The second woman there asked me how to spell my last name so I did. The second woman still couldn’t find my name on her list (and even asked if I was a “Junior”) even after the Town Clerk had told her what page it was on. After a few minutes and lots of help she finally found it. After that was settled I then moved to the next desk where I turned in my ballot to a woman who gave me a sticker for voting.

In a small town where everyone knows everyone (and everything about everyone) you wouldn’t think it would be so complicated to be identified  - especially when you are also showing a Driver’s License that has your picture and your address on it. It was clear the old women who were checking-in and checking-out people didn’t really have a clue what they were doing. They are the same women that got confused when I used to bring my mom to vote and said both of our names (you didn’t have to show ID back then) and then asked for 2 ballots when they only gave us 1. What should have taken less than 10 minutes from start to finish – especially since I was the only one voting – took me just under 40 minutes because of the untrained and unintelligent people working at the poll.