Reflection from an Election Worker
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After 35 years of exercising my right to vote, this year, I supported voting by serving as an election worker. Growing up, my parents demonstrated to me the importance of voting. They even tried to make it attractive to my brother and me by picking up a box of donuts to share with us after they cast their vote. While we were not told how to vote, my parents often joked about canceling each other’s vote. Despite their humor, I always knew that voting was a privilege not to be taken for granted.
Barriers to voting were not on my radar prior to joining the staff of Community Renewal Society in 2020. I now understand better the barriers that exist for individuals who have a criminal record, experience unstable housing, speak a language other than English, have a physical or mental disability, or live in an area where physical access to voting is restricted through redistricting and limited or inaccessible polling locations. Thankfully, Illinois invests significant resources to promote and enable voting. Unfortunately, that is not the case in many states that actively restrict voting.
As an election worker, I received in-person and online training and support from my fellow workers. Fortunately, I was the only one in our group of seven, out of a possible team of 12, who was new to the role.
The atmosphere at the polling place I served, which covered three precincts, encouraged me. Seeing “Future Voters” come in with their parents gave me hope for the future. While consistently busy, voters at my precinct waited less than ten minutes in an accessible, air-conditioned gym. My experience was based on working in Forest Park, Illinois, and I recognize that may not reflect conditions in other areas of Illinois. In Chicago, as of June 6, voters from 73 precincts did not yet have an assigned polling place. Those unserved precincts likely contributed to the disappointing participation rate of just over 20%.
Both more polling places and workers are needed. Ideal staffing would have four workers per precinct. One of the three precincts at my polling place had only one worker. Had we not helped each other, that precinct would not have been able to open. We surmised that the pandemic was still affecting the number of people, especially senior citizens, willing to serve. Now is the time for young adults and others to help fill this void.
As challenges to the 1965 Voting Rights Act continue to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, Community Renewal Society has made it a priority to promote the importance of voting. We believe that voting rights intersects with all five of the issue areas addressed in the CRS Platform for Renewal.
Here are five ways you can support voting rights:
Contact your legislators to encourage them to support the federal Voting Rights Act.
Find out if your church can serve as a polling place.
Share how to check your voter registration.
Sign up for training and serve as an election worker.
Make a plan to vote early, by mail or at the polls on November 8.
Catherine Hegarty
Manager of Development & Communications
Community Renewal Society