Most poll clerks, managers, watchers and others involved in the election process get involved because they are concerned about the integrity of elections. I first got involved in the election process over ten years ago for that very reason.
It is my opinion that most poll clerks and managers throughout the country are probably dedicated people who work the polls simply because they want to see honest elections. Unfortunately, stories have come forward where not all who work the polls are there for the right reasons. In fact, some may be there to see if they can shift the election results in some way. In my opinion that is not the majority, but a small minority who can have a big influence if they are allowed to be dishonest.
It is the duty of Poll Clerks and managers to manage the polls with honesty and integrity. The polls are designed for an honest and moral people. Without honest and moral poll personnel that cannot happen. Mistakes do happen on occasion, but fraud is another issue. The Poll Clerk has the authority if they find a poll worker, or anybody in the polling place, being dishonest to immediately call the Sheriff and have them arrested on the spot. Elections are no nonsense affairs.
This writer worked the polls as a clerk for over ten years. My journey as a clerk started because I wanted to participate in the election process to do all that I could to assure safe, honest and accurate elections. Due to my recent illness I am no longer able to participate in the management of the polls.
On Election Day the polls open at 7:00am and close at 7:00pm. Clerks and managers are at the polls by 5:55am. They will stay at the poll until around 8:00pm that night unless they can finish closing quicker, it’s a long day. At 6:00am polling managers and a Clerk are busy setting up the polls to greet voters who’ll be taking time out of their day to vote. Around noon if we’re not too swamped we may get to eat lunch, but that’s also the voter lunch break when they can leave work to vote, so there is usually a high voter turnout, and sometimes lunch just doesn’t happen.
During election day I have experienced everything from electronic sign-in issues to trouble with voting machines, ballots rejected by machine, electric power outages, voters having no ID, those who attempt to vote who are ineligible, voter in the wrong place, voter’s who registered less than 30 days prior to election, disruptive voters outside, argumentative voters inside, disgusted and frustrated voters, and more etc. The potential problems are many, but as they say, ‘remain calm and continue forward’. If a Poll Clerk cannot handle the issue or problem at hand we can always call into the election headquarters to gain assistance.
Around dinner time we’ll have another huge influx of voters who rush into the polls before we close so they don’t miss voting. Seems they suddenly remembered its Election Day while sitting at their dinner table, so they rush in last minute, some of them still munching on a chicken leg or with half their dinner on their shirt. Lucky us, poll workers usually don’t get a dinner break because of the huge amount of people who remembered to vote while having their dinner, but we are there for the purpose to allow opportunity for voters to cast their vote, certainly not convenience nor comfort.
It’s finally the countdown to 7:00pm closing time! After a grueling day of dealing with happy and cheerful voters we lock the doors at 7:00pm sharp and “X” out the voting machines, break down all equipment, post results on the door and load up about 8:00pm. That’s after we make sure the borrowed property is secure, the alarm is on, the floors are swept and the doors are locked.
Once loaded up all the election workers say goodbye and go home. The Poll Clerk has more to do. When I was Clerk I had to drive about forty minutes to Election Headquarters. There I’d park and sometimes stand in line partly outside for about half an hour to check in with election paperwork. Hopefully it’s not raining or freezing cold, but I’ve endured that too along with the countless others who give their time!
At election headquarters Clerks will check with the check-in clerks and will take another 20 minutes or so to go over equipment verification, thumb drives, paperwork tallies, signatures, etc. to make sure everything balances out with no processing irregularities. So, if everything goes smoothly, which is not every time, and if there are no other snags, the clerk will walk out of election headquarters on election night around 9:40pm. I have left as late as 11:15 in the past! At that time I’m usually tired and hungry since I’ve skipped a few meals that day to make sure those who chose to vote had honest elections and vote.
During my time as a clerk I am certain that there have been those who entered the polling place with the intent to cast what they knew was an illegal ballot. To the best of my ability I thwarted fraud in every instance I detected such. I also used every means possible to assure that those who sought to cast a legitimate vote were in the right polling place and could cast their vote there. Election commissions use a variety of means to verify voter legitimacy which the Poll Clerks can access.
It is my opinion, and that of almost every voter whom I have spoken to over the years—and that is quite a large number, that most people prefer a paper ballot and paper sign-ins. Most I have spoken to do not care for the electronic voting or verification devices used in most South Carolina polling places today. They prefer an older style of paper trails that don’t have the electronic ability to be altered at the touch of a keypad—and it is possible.
The key to this whole process is honesty and integrity, and I among others have discovered over the past few years that some are willing to be dishonest for whatever reason. The American system of selecting candidates is strictly the voter’s choice whomever they may choose. It doesn’t matter if the Clerk, your spouse, employer, or anybody else likes or agrees with your choice, the choice is the voter’s. Cast your vote and may the best candidate with the most vote tallies win!
In the final analysis, there are many people who work the polls who do all within their power to assure honest elections free from fraud, and they work a long and tiring day. But, there are others who may not be there for the same purpose, we hope to discover any who are there for fraudulent reasons and have them prosecuted. Nobody wins when there are those who cheat or permit fraud. The more people who actually come in to the polls to vote the better for those who work there, it helps the day go by much faster, and helps reinforce why we’re there to begin—to make sure everyone legally eligible to vote can do so without problems or interference. Honest elections are everybody’s business and it is incumbent on poll personnel and voters alike to have watchful eyes and report wrong doings to polling authorities or to the Sheriff.
Michael Reed is Publisher of The Standard newspaper, print and online. TheStandardSC video media channel is being censored by dominant social media groups like YouTube. YouTube, owed by Alphabet (Google), removed and destroyed all of our video work without permission or remuneration. That has stopped all potential donations from our many supporters on that venue. If you want to continue to see independent thought and reports please “like”, comment, share with a friend, and donate to support The Standard on this page to assure the continued availability of news that is ignored too often by the dominant media.
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