Peachy Keen

"Win or lose, we go shopping after the election."
--Imelda Marcos

For the second time in my life, I have a second job.

The first time, I was a teacher and got a second job at a “learning center,” which I discovered was code for “expensive babysitter for many parents who wanted to deny their elementary-age children ANY time to play and take a break from studies during the week.” I liked the extra money, but it was kind of boring and took time away from lesson planning. I had all but quit by the time John and I got engaged.

But now I am a G-man (woman) – I’m a Government Worker for a few days, with the big day being November 7, Election Day. Yes – I am Your Local Poll Worker.

I got a small taste of the real thing last Friday, when I worked one of the advanced voting days. Between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., 800 people came to vote. That Friday alone, a total of 3,000 people voted across the county. And advanced voting was available all last week here.

It was fun, and I enjoyed getting to know My Fellow Poll Workers (officially called Clerks or Poll Officers). Naturally, I brought my ever-present companion, a book, for something to do during the slow times. I didn’t even finish reading a single page, we were so busy. It was good to see people coming out to vote, even though it’s not a presidential election year. (Having “behind the scenes” experience now, I shuddered to think about what it must have been like to work the 2004 election!! All those stories of polls whose lines were so long at the “closing” time that they wrapped up at 10 p.m.!) Several people thanked us for working, which was kind of them.

During the training, I had asked about the potential for fraud and how to prevent it. I was a little shocked at how simple it is to commit election fraud if you have an idea of what goes on behind the scenes (and I am NOT going to post details on the Internet for all to read, unlike the morons who post how to make a bomb, how to kill yourself, etc.).

Suffice to say, it is certainly easy to understand how so many dead people end up “casting ballots.” Sheesh.

But I will be there, enabling people to vote and to get their big 2-inch diameter sticker with a Georgia peach on it that says “I’m a Georgia voter.” Makes the stickers where we came from in Florida seem kind of lame in comparison; the sticker was smaller than your thumb and said, “I voted!” with a flag. One of the poll workers said that in the past, the Georgia sticker said, “I voted; did you?” But I guess that was too aggressive and judgmental, making people Feel Bad for not voting. It’s a free country – they can NOT vote if they don’t want to! Who cares that the future of our country depends upon elections!

So Tuesday will be the longest day I have worked since leaving teaching – 6 a.m. to at least 8 p.m. I’ve already made a list of what I’d like to buy with my paycheck (which John says is mine to keep – whoo hoo!). Yeah, it’s pretty much scrapbooking stuff. Surprise.

Speaking of scrapbooking, if anyone can get hold of a copy of the November/December 2005 issue of Simple Scrapbooks magazine for me to keep, please let me know. Then I won’t have to “lose” it and pay a huge library fine….