At my poll, I produce a binder with the training materials, two-sided, with tabs for the concepts. Most of the inspectors refer to it repeatedly for the oddments, like provisional ballots and what to do with an I (inactive voter). Amusingly enough, the training has contradictory information about whether one or two forms are required in those cases.

Many of the old hands use the old, confusing technology despite the training and what the warden and clerk tell them. It’s not always the voter who is the one confused.

For clarity sake…

There are preliminary elections (like the September one for Mayor), primary elections (one that narrows people within a political party) and a general election (the final vote after either.)

Preliminary elections don’t have party affiliations. These are usually municipal elections.

In the *old days* in a primary election you had to declare a party which in effect would register you with that party. To remain indepndent (aka “unenrolled”) you needed to fill out a card and turn it in upon leaving, or mail it back.

Under current policy and law, if you are unenrolled (aka independent) you remain so and you don’t have to do anything to retain that status. In a primary you must choose which ballot (essentially choosing a party) but you remain an independent (aka unenrolled) without the need to fill out any forms.

As to Uncle’s comments, all poll workers receive a 2 hour training session before they can work at the polls, and then they are only started as an “inspector” and under the tuteledge of the precinct clerk and warden – the people in charge. It is then up to them to assure that the inspectors get it right. Sometimes an inspector may not make the cut and not be invited back. It happens.

Also, before every election there are training sessions for both new and experienced poll workers. People can attend these sessions for refresher courses. There are numerous sessiosn held at City Hall and around the city.

Also in all polling places sample ballots are always posted. There are 2 sets – one at “eye level” and one at under 48 inches for people in wheelchairs. You can direct people to the sample ballots to decide who they plan on voting for and then they can request that party’s ballot.

I had to do that for a few people.

While there was no Libertarian candidate, there was a ballot for write ins. In a past election that party established a 5% or better showing in an election (I think it was Sec of State) thus assuring that party would be included in primaries from now on.

At a general election (aka the final election) you can vote for anyone you want of course and there si no need for declaring or choosing a party. You did that in the primary.

In essence, almost anyone can vote.

If you show up at a polling place and you are not listed in the directory someone will check your address against a street directory. Occasionally people arrive at a polling location but find they are at the wrong poll. They are sent to the right place from there.

Otherwise if you have a valid ID and can show residency at that address you will be given a provisional ballot. These are counted after the fact after the elections department validates the ID and residency materials are correct. A provisional ballot will counted if validated but not processed by the automated machinery on voting day. That is done by the election department.

Occasionally a “challenge ballot” is issued. This is when someone challenges the right to vote is at hand. The same thing happens as above, a challenge ballot is issued and is only counted after all personal data is validated, i.e. they are the person they say they are, a citizen, etc.

Occasionally someone may show up as “inactive” because they have not voted in several years or failed to return the city residency survey that usually goes out in January each year. To assure that this person is not deceased, a person may be asked for ID. That can be a drivers license or something as simple as a utility bill.

Most people think poll workers sit there all day and just check people in and out. Whet they don’t see is the set up an hour before polls open at 7 AM, the constant checking and rechecking of numbers against the machines and log books, record keeping – a secretary logs everything that happens within the premesis – and assuring that everyone that wants to vote has that opportunity. The workers then stay as much as 1-2 hours after the polls close at 8 PM to assure that all of the documentation is accurate, they all sign off as legal witnesses subject to court summons, and assuring that all ballots are locked and sealed for the return trip to city hall.

We get 2 breaks, one each for lunch and dinner but if it’s busy as was the case during the presidential election, you get a sanwich on the fly.

By the way… the pay scale is a little over minimum wage.

Signed… Been There and Done that

That inspector should have asked you to choose a party for that primary ballot. There’s no more declaring.

Likewise, some inspectors at my poll were befuddling voters with imprecision. Some would see the U when it was there turn with the voter list book and say, “You are undecided.” Understandably, the voter would not know what that meant. Eventually, they all realized the real term of “unenrolled” came with less baggage.

An unenrolled voter does have to choose a party ballot during a primary by law, but remains unenrolled. Poll workers write down the letter of the party beside the name, but that is only for accounting. When the polls close, the books at the check-in and check-out tables must have identical counts. The clerk book has to have counts (by party in the case of a primary) that exactly match the totals of scanned ballots, plus write-in ones, absentees and so forth.

When you pick the primary party ballot, nothing changes in your voter status.

The people trapped in the primary are those with one party who want to vote for a candidate of another. They can’t get the other ballot on the spot. Their only option for that primary to do that is blowing off their party ballot’s candidates and doing a write-in. The write-in option is on all types of ballots.