General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWish me luck over the next two days - it's gonna be a long two days!
Last edited Mon Nov 4, 2024, 04:03 PM - Edit history (1)
I'm on the Ohio voter protection hotline tomorrow from 10:30-1:00.
Then, my daughter is excited about the presidential election for the first time ever, so I had promised her we would go to a Harris event if there was one near us. Well . . . Harris is coming to Pittsburgh for her next-to-last campaign event. So we're going.
And bright and early on election day. Well, not bright yet - I head to the boiler room serving 1/5 of Ohio's counties. Arrival time 5:30 AM. We work until the last polling location returns their materials to the BOE (best guess - around 10 PM). I also just got appointed as an observer to a specific polling site, and had to give them the disappointing news that I had to decline because I have not yet mastered the art of being in two places at once.
Whew!
At least I won't have much time to fret about how things are going.
ETA: 4 pm - in Pittsburgh, navigating our way to the parking lot for a shuttle to the site.
Tree Lady
(12,205 posts)Fingers crossed it goes ok.
Hotline duty yesterday was very quiet. No early voting tomorrow, so I'm expecting it to be mostly, "where do I vote?" questions.
Unfortunately, one of the things we're struggling with are people whose absentee ballots never arrived. Their choice, at this point, is to vote on election day or skip it - unless their ballot arrives and they can get it postmarked tomorrow. It's gut-wrenching to tell someone their only real option to ensure their votes are counted is to come home from Florida, NY, or wherever they are, to vote in person. There are a few who are doing that, but not everyone can.
Tree Lady
(12,205 posts)mail is getting worse and worse.
Yet again I have to deal with another amazon package that said it was delivered through usps and wasn't. I have one of those locked things for a bunch of neighbors so postal person either put in wrong place or didn't do it.
There are some instances of the BOE mailing out ballots late. But, generally, it is the post office.
gademocrat7
(11,212 posts)Take care.
Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)Silent Type
(7,325 posts)Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)It's at least as much self-preservation as it is altruism.
irisblue
(34,412 posts)Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)dweller
(25,244 posts)was moving due to safety concerns of the secret service ?
Moving to Rankin/ or Ranklin ?
I will go look for the post
Here
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219649123
✌🏻
Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)Different location - the Carrie Blast Furnaces (the address is Pittsburgh, likely a quirk of zip codes). It's a hair farther from us, but not enough to worry about.
It had moved before I found out about it - and I'm actually excited about the location. I'm working on a BFA in photography, and from the website there's a lot to photograph there!
usonian
(14,600 posts)🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀
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Diamond_Dog
(35,165 posts)from another Ohioan. I hope all goes smoothly.
H2O Man
(75,778 posts)And thank you!
Recommended
a kennedy
(32,323 posts)I do what I can. I'm not a door-knocker, or a phone banker. But I can answer calls, write postcards, and work on election day. So I do. If we all kick in and do what we can, we'll get there!
louslobbs
(3,416 posts)Stay safe!
Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)DontBelieveEastisEas
(1,203 posts)Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)DinahMoeHum
(22,518 posts). . .and if you have any stories to tell later, we'd love to hear/read them.
Me, I'm a poll worker (NY), so Tuesday begins for me getting to the site by 5:00 AM to set up for opening at 6 AM, and it won't end until closing at 9 PM, when we then have to close up shop according to protocol, call in our results, and turn in equipment.
Odds are, I will not be home until maybe midnight; then I'm off to bed to sleep for about 10 hours. No TV, no social media, etc.
Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)Our polls close at 7:30 PM. But otherwise a similar schedule.
I probably won't be able to resist staying up a bit longer, hoping there is an early decision.
4lbs
(7,395 posts)I won't get back home until about 6:00pm PST on Tuesday.
I hope to go to bed with a smile on my face later that night. I remember 2008. This sort of feels a little like that moment.
Hopefully, I will be smiling all month.
Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)But it does feel more hopeful than 2016. (I was not one of those on the Clinton high, so I was pretty pessimistic going into election day.)
HeartsCanHope
(755 posts)Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)Hermit-The-Prog
(36,622 posts)Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)qwlauren35
(6,279 posts)I was an election judge for one election, up at 4:30am, in bed at 11pm. It wiped me out. I don't know how I worked the next day.
Please prepare to have food - maybe some PBJs or other sandwiches, prepare to drink water, give yourself breaks, don't overdo the coffee. Get sleep before hand.
Tuesday is going to be a long, crazy day.
Thank you for what you do. I think election workers are the backbone of our democracy.
Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)The food this year is an interesting issue. People will bring food to share. But I have a colonoscopy on Friday, so Tuesday is the first day of a restricted diet. I'm probably just going to grab some yogurt to take with me.
As for sleep - my body is extremely tolerant of irregular sleep schedules. After decades of getting very little sleep (5-7 hours a night most nights), I am now retired and get more sleep than I ever have - except when I have early AM commitments. Unfortunately, this semester my classes start at 7:45 AM, so I've gotten to test adapting to irregular sleep schedules - and am still able to manage it. And . . . as to sleep beforehand . . . with the Harris rally in Pittsburgh tomorrow night, not much chance! It's scheduled to run until 10 PM, so even if I magically transport from the rally to the parking lot, and there are no traffic jams, it will be midnight before I get home.
qwlauren35
(6,279 posts)If you've been doing this for 20 yrs, my hat is off to you . When I did it, I met many veterans. I'm just hoping we can pass the baton to a younger generation that will care as much as we do
NJCher
(38,224 posts)for doing this. I don't know how anybody gets up at these crazy hours like 4:30 or 6:30, but I know it's necessary because someone here told me polls open at 6:30 a.m. This person actually gets there at 6:30 a.m. to vote.
ailsagirl
(23,865 posts)Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)hay rick
(8,317 posts)Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)Blue_Roses
(13,456 posts)Best of Luck! I have no doubt you'll do great!
Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)orleans
(35,255 posts)have fun at kamala's rally
Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)róisín_dubh
(11,924 posts)Big hug from across the pond. I got to vote via email. WV does few things right, but they make it very easy for their citizens abroad or absentee to vote.
electric_blue68
(18,685 posts)Ms. Toad
(35,616 posts)SamKnause
(13,876 posts)Thank you and enjoy the rally.
Emile
(30,787 posts)dsc
(52,693 posts)It is the county I work in, not the one I live in so I will be outside. I am thinking it will not be horridly crowded due to massive early vote.
nolabear
(43,280 posts)Thank you thank you thank you!
Kick ass!
scrabblequeen40
(335 posts)I'm so freaking nervous for Ohio. Thank you for your work!
Tweedy
(1,220 posts)Thank you for all that you are doing!!!