Guest Column: A Good Day at the Polls

By Guest

Last Tuesday was a good day. No, I am not talking about candidate wins or losses. Everyone has their own opinion of those. I spent Election Day as a poll watcher at an urban New Hampshire precinct. I’m talking about process.

Lisa Lopez

Given the campaign season drama and hyped prognostications of how the day might play out, we can all be forgiven for approaching this Election Day with a tiny bit of dread. My experience could not have been more different from those fears.

Throughout the entire day and evening, turnout was steady, heavy, and exceeded all expectations. Predictions of voter apathy or cynicism completely missed the mark in this mostly blue-collar precinct. I saw voters in their 70s and 80s, many assisted by family members, walkers, wheelchairs or canes, as well as plenty of voters who were clearly Gen Z. One looked too young to vote.

I saw men and lots of women. Voters of different races, ethnicities, and from what I could tell, political stripes. There was an assortment of construction clothes, hospital scrubs, military swag, gun rights t-shirts and rainbow t-shirts too. Body art, body jewelry and colored hair made lots of appearances, and not just on young folks. My “favorite” voters were parents or grandparents with kids in tow, all of them seemingly fascinated by what the grownups were up to. One bald gentleman with a tiny blue pony tail, who appeared to be in his 70s, held his tiny granddaughter’s hand tightly as he took his ballot and walked toward the ballot booth. To a person, voters were calm, orderly and respectful, even though it was clear many were rushing to or from work.

The poll workers — in their 60s, 70s or 80s — regularly recognized neighbors (or a child, once taught in elementary school, now grown) and chatted them up. Throughout the long “day” — 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. for most — they were unfailingly cheerful, polite, and helpful to voters. “How are you today?” “Thanks for coming!” “Is this little one your helper?” They had brought cushions to soften the metal chairs they occupied, but even at the end of the evening, only made jokes about their sore backs and aching feet. No one complained, even about the cold pizza for dinner they’d all pitched in to buy.

Of special mention were the husband and wife team in their mid 80s who worked the entire day and evening, without breaks, registering new voters. (New Hampshire allows same-day registration). And there were so, so many new voters. Whereas voter lines were not usually more than 15 minutes, the line to register new voters was often 40 minutes. Poll workers did their best to keep the line moving efficiently and welcomed translation help from one of my colleagues whose Spanish was better than mine. I never heard a voter complain and never saw anyone leave the line in frustration.

At 7:58 p.m., two minutes before the polls closed, a youngish woman rushed through the doors, wiping her brow, explaining that she’d run all the way from where she’d parked.

I imagine that what I witnessed played out all across America. Ordinary people making the time to make our system work. And it did. It was a good day at the polls.

Lisa Lopez is a longtime Canton resident and retired corporate attorney. She currently serves as vice chair of the Canton Select Board.

Share This Post

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=95581