12 October 1999
Election Class

Message: 4
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 19:42:24 -0700 (PDT)
From: Spring Dew <springdew1@yahoo.com>
Subject: [dw] Election Class
To: dw@3sheep.com
Reply-To: dw@3sheep.com
 

Something really creepy just happened to me.  I just
went to Election Class.  See, I not only registered to
vote this year, but I volunteered for Board of
Election.  I figure the revolution ain't happening
right if we ain't proactive, ya know?

So I get in there to the high school and check in at
the desk and we straigthen out which location I am
working on Election Day, and I get settled into the
auditorium and turn around.

Everbody in there is the same.  Of the perhaps 150
people in there, every single one is pale skinned and
geratric.  A good 80%, roughly, are female.

I have nothing against pale skinned geriatric people. 
Happen to love em.  But in as diverse an area as
Monmouth County, why the hell are ALL of these folks
the same?  No Latinos.  No Nubians.  No Asians.  No
Huns.  Nobody under 50, and damned few even that
young.

This bothers me.  How good are you gonna feel coming
in to vote if everybody working the election is just
alike, and it ain't like you?  How would you feel if
you were a Caucasian redneck of 20 if you had to go
vote at a poll manned exclusively by elderly Zulus?
How about if you were an elderly Zulu voting with a
buncha 20-year-old rednecks?  But if you were an Arab
man of 45, and found a mixture of ages and ethnicites
and genders running the poll, you might feel just
fine.

Some people would rant and rave and try to legislate
something, but I think that's kinda silly.  I think we
need to take notice and get everybody we know to
register to vote, in the first darn place, because you
know how apathetic so many of us are.  Then we need to
volunteer to run the polls, then we need to do
everything we can to get our newly registered voter
friends out there with us.

I will say one thing about legislation.  At present it
is illegal for an employer to stand in the way of a US
military reservist serving monthly drill.  Employers
cannot fire or demote or otherwise damage the career
of a reservist based on the performance of duty with
the armed services.  I think the same law should be
enacted for poll workers.  There aren't as many
elections in a year as there are drill weekends.  And
I know that some people who might otherwise step up
may worry about being able to clock out.  Granted,
it's not the only solution.  I know there are lots of
diverse people around here who do not have to risk
their jobs to work polls.  There are people who can
call their own day.  But still, to protect those who
would be in danger, I think this would be A Very Good
and Fair Thing.

=====

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