Helping on election day

[question everything]

I know that volunteers are needed, not sure for what - calling on people to vote, I suppose, perhaps driving senior citizens.

But... as I was listening to ABC News about all the pitfall awaiting new voters, I wondered whether one way to volunteer would be to work at the polling place, to assist with matching people's names to... whatever lists are provided, to assist, if needed, in mousing the screen.

What do you think?

[alittlelark]

1. I'm flying to NM in 2 days to do just that

:7 :bounce: :bounce:

[ClassWarrior]

2. To work at the polls themselves, I think you need to be already...

...signed up. Call your city clerk to find out for sure. Failing that, you could sign up for poll watching, either at www.election-protection.org, or with your JK/JE headquarters.

24.

[MockSwede]

7. Can volunteer

to listen to names announced by voters so Dems can cross off list so no need to call them to get out the vote. runners bring back lists to Dem election offices - remaining names are called by volunteers to get out to vote.

also:

http://cdn.moveonpac.org/content/pdfs/ep_card.pdf

ANY BS going on - have these printed out ahead of time and hand them out.

[tanyev]

3. It depends on how things are done

in your county. I am working on election day as a temporary employee of the county. I've gone to a training session on how to use the equipment. I think a precinct judge can also bring volunteers if they want, but at this late date you'd almost have to know a precinct judge.

Your local Dem HQ should be able to point you where the need is greatest.

[Starlight]

4. Call your local Democrat Party HQ IMMEDIATELY!

There are lots of things you can still do: poll challenger, phone bank, rides to polls...just let them know you're available & ask them what they need. :)

[jean]

5. I saw a get out the vote (GOTV) training session on c-span last week

and they seem to have it organized into teams that are going to work on election day, up to and even past the poll closing time (since anyone who is in line can still vote) This took place somewhere in Colorado, last week.

Here's a run down (from what I can recall) of the various teams:

door to door knockers

phone bank callers

poll workers - keeping track of which reg voters have voted - they communicate this info back to headquarters frequently and these names are checked of a main list - people who have not voted will be called and door knocked throughout the day if necessary, to make sure they vote. They talked about needing to keep people in line waiting for their turn - it might take hours in some places to be able to vote. Talked about providing snacks, umbrellas, help in various ways to prevent people from giving up and leaving

vote protectors - working at the polls to help anyone who gets challenged by a repub and threatened with not being able to vote

drivers - getting people to the polls

cell phone donation since they have limited land line phones. They will be calling back and forth between all the various teams of people to stay coordinated and on target. People could donate their cells phones or any extras they might have just for the day.

They are basically mobilized to squeeze out every last vote for Kerry from all the knowledge they have on hand.

I can't remember other teams... except they talked of food and beverage donations to keep people sustained throughout the day, both for GOTV and the actual voters, standing in line.

[puddycat]

6. don't forget poll workers who pass out literature to people

[jean]

8. yes! also, there's the visibility people who stand on busy streets or

street corners with Kerry/Edwards signs

[Virginian]

9. Yes, help if you can.

Edited for emphasis
Unless an area is really desperate, I think the counties have already hired and trained the election officers to work election day.

What you can do, and we NEED you for this, is to speed up the lines by explaining the ballot to people as they arrive. We will have two state constitutional amendments and four bond issues on our ballots in addition to the presidential race and the congressional race. People wait until they are in the voting booth before reading the bond issues and it takes them a lot longer to vote than it would if they already knew what it said. Catch them outside as you do with the candidate information and help them with the issues as well.

Our local Democratic Party will be handing out the entire sample ballot with the bond issues and amendments checked as a suggestion on how to vote. I tried to check the website of the Republicans to see if they were doing the same and could not find a sample ballot.

A large turnout favors our side. A long, slow line discourages voters, therefore, discouraged voters cost us votes.

It is very, very important for someone to stay outside until the closing time to make sure that any voters who are in line when the polls close, know that they will be allowed to vote. In our state, the polls close at 7:00 PM. Anyone in line at 7:00 CAN VOTE. Get them in the door and in line. Don't delay just-in-the-nick-of-time voters by explaining ANYTHING to them.

Also, PLEASE inform the voters that they have to hide campaign buttons or T-shirts while they are at the polls. It is considered campaigning to be a human billboard at the polls and can't be permitted. One election officer in my training class said she even makes people take off elephant or donkey earrings.