My mother just told me something that has me fuming.
As I may have mentioned before at some point, my mother lives with us. She’s been blind (macular degeneration) for the past two years and cannot live alone.
As we approach the election, mom asked my wife if she could assist her at the voting booth. Ever alert for opportunities to ease Mom into being independent, to the extent possible, I mentioned that the polling place workers are able to assist the visually handicapped… Mrs. Bricker was happy to do it, mind you, but I want Mom to explore and learn how to handle things without us, if she can.
“I’d prefer if [Mrs. Bricker] helped,” Mom said. “Last year when I voted, I asked the poll workers for help, and the woman came into the booth to read the selections to me. When she showed me where the button was for my candidate, I pushed it, and she said, ‘Oh, that’s who you’re voting for? Well, I can’t say anything because of my position here, but I wish I could tell you a few things…’”
I am furious. How dare she take advantage of a blind lady to make her smarmy, no-good comments about a voting choice? That was low. I wish I had known about this when it happened - I would have made very effort to ensure that harridan never worked a polling place again in her life. This absolutely infuriates me.
Agreed. I’m not a priest, because I don’t believe in Jesus; I’m not a poll worker, because I don’t trust my ability to keep my fool mouth shut. And if you can’t keep your fool mouth shut, there’s plenty of places in the world for you. Helping out at the polls ain’t one of them.
Most poll workers (that I’ve seen) are typically older ladies (I think the League of Women Voters put a lot of manpower into these events) and are usually quite professional. The chatty older woman probably thought she could get away with it because your mother is a same age/sex peer, and quite frankly some of it had to do with her perceived helplessness, so the lady felt she could lecture her about her choice as is she was some developmentally delayed child.
There are idiots everywhere, Bricker, just write a letter to the polling board (or whoever is in chanrge) and identify the time and place the incident occurred and say you hope it will not hapen agan this year. I don’t think they’ll need Sherlock Holmes to track down the probable offender. This lady is probably well known anong her peers to have a big mouth and bad judgment.
A complaint to the election board claiming electioneering may get somewhere too. They aren’t supposed to be promoting/denigrating candidates past a certain point with a sign - at least in NY.
I wonder who she even voted for (as in she may have turned the lever for her candidate, rather than Ma Bricker’s…)
That’s lousy. In NYC we are allowed to assist a blind voter (although most of them come with a friend or relative and just use them, which is fine) because as handy as our machines are, they are not readable in any way by the visually impaired.
Even though personally I’m a Dem, I’m officially a “republican inspector” because there are very few real repubs around and they know my folks (they’re often working the polling place with me, and yes that’s legal and they don’t cut me any slack) and know that I’ll behave myself. I’ve had a blind guy tell me “Just pull the lever for the whole Democratic slate” and I did. I would not have dreamed of making any comments or saying anything at all besides reading out the names and repeating (quietly) the name the person had said before the pulled the lever for the candidate, and I’ve never known any pollworker to do that. I think that lady was being more overfriendly than treacherous but she did cross a line.
I might tag along this time and chance overhearing a similar remark. That sort of crap is inexcusable levied at anyone, let alone someone who is dependent on the kindness of others. Sorry to hear your mother had to deal with that.
Perhaps we differ in our personal definitions of overfriendly. I happen to think the audacity alone contained in this remark certainly does not fall under the category of “friendly”:
The voter aide already HAS indirectly said something about the worthiness of the candidate (and, for my money, made an inherent unpleasant implication about Bricker’s mother). That strikes me not as friendly but unfriendly.
Mama Bricker should’ve mentioned it a year ago. That lady should have her ability to work polls permanently rescinded. She went far, far over the line.
Oh yeah, even though I don’t think she was being evil rather than gossipy or anything that is an offense that should be reported. Now, while they’re finalizing the assignments for the polls. Of course, depending on her connections it can be tricky–it took my Dad a few years to have another Coordinator (a person who supervises the pollworkers) busted back down to Inspector (my lowly position) even though she was throwing unfinished forms into envelopes and sealing them, not letting us read the numbers right, etc. because she wanted to get home early, because she was an important Democratic party member in our county.
But report it. Respectfully, politely, calmly, and with as many details as Mom can remember. The Board is probably overwhelmed right now and needing all workers so she may still appear at the polls to work on Nov. 2, but they might at least give her a fear of God talk that’ll make her behave.
But actually, she didn’t deal with it. She just ignored it, and probably let it happen to others who needed help at that polling place.
I would have complained loudly & lengthly right there, to the other poll workers and to their supervisor. And gone home and called the Elections Office if they didn’t do something about it.
But then, Bricker’s mother is probably a much nicer & quieter person than I am!
P.S. And comments like that are not overfriendly, or audacious, or treacherous – here in Minnesota, they would be illegal.
illegal…that’s what I was thinking.
I might bash a candidate here or at home and maybe in some public settings as well. But not at the election. That was definitely not cool. I would follow mom and just check it out.
Totally illegal here too, of course. I had an old dearie ask me point-blank something like this in the Super Pointless Tuesday Dem primary this spring: “You look like a smart girl–who do you think I should vote for?” I just smiled and said I couldn’t help her, keeping my correct and well-reasoned choice (Joe-mentum! Joe-mentum!) to myself.
Overfriendly? Big mouth? It’s a fucking criminal act, and to have a poll worker lecture someone on their vote is absolutely despicable. Democracy is about letting everyone vote how they choose, and a poll worker should know better than to do something like that. What a fucking assault on someone’s dignity, and what an affront to the democratic process. If someone’s willing to take advantage of their position to deliver lectures on another person’s vote, who’s to say they won’t pull the wrong lever too, just to give their candidate a little extra edge?
Agreed. Election workers have to keep their political opinions to themselves when they are working at the polls. (except for casting their own ballots, that is)
Agreed that the poll worker’s behavior was totally inappropriate and inexcusable, but these people are basically volunteers, aren’t they? I mean they don’t get paid or anything, do they? It sounds like she may have been inadequately trained or briefed on what was or was not alowed.
Bricker’s mom should have complained, though, and the poll worker should have been relieved of her responsibilities.
I must say, I think this kind of thing has to be pretty rare. In twenty years of regular voting I’ve never even gotten a hint of a poll worker’s personal beliefs. Most of those ladies do a great job, under a lot of stress, for no money. I always make it a point to thank them whenever I vote. My guess is that nobody would have been more upset with the person who harrassed Bricker’s mom than those other poll workers and I have no doubt they would have wanted to know about something like that immediately. The impartiality with which they perform their duties is a point of personal pride…not to mention necessity.
In Minnesota, they are indeed paid. Minimum wage + 40%, or about $115 for the full day. Plus if you are employed, you must be given the day off, withOUT reduction in wages, to be an election judge. (But then you usually have to turn your judge’s pay over to your employer.)
And all Minnesota election judges are required to attend a training class beforehand.
But, really, how much training does it take to learn “keep your opinions to yourself about who people should vote for”?
and they know my folks (they’re often working the polling place with me, and yes that’s legal and they don’t cut me any slack) and know that I’ll behave myself. I’ve had a blind guy tell me “Just pull the lever for the whole Democratic slate” and I did. 
I would not have dreamed of making any comments or saying anything at all besides reading out the names and repeating (quietly) the name the person had said before the pulled the lever for the candidate, and I’ve never known any pollworker to do that. I think that lady was being more overfriendly than treacherous but she did cross a line.