Week 2: The Election Workers

Today is election day. My local polling place has the same group of people working there, year after year. Each person has different responsibilities – checking names, opening and closing the curtain, making sure you stand where you're supposed to, etc.

The jobs are tedious at best, mind-numbing at worst. The hours are long. Many people work at the polling place from early morning well into the evening. Why do they do it? So that I – and others – can vote.

Today I gave a thank you note to the poll workers, to let them know I appreciate what they do. When I handed the letter to an older woman working there, she said that she has been doing this for forty years and no one has ever given her a thank you note in all that time.

I’m not sure if that made me feel good or bad…I think a little bit of both.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash