Election Volunteering

Bobby taking picture in front of polling place

Polling place Outside of polling place

Sample Ballots

In my group we walked around the neighborhood visiting different polling places. We approached the people outside and introduced ourselves. Many of the people outside were kind and informative. They asked us some questions about the committee of Seventy, and what kind of things we were looking for in this experience. We visited the polling places in the district. They were often held at community known places with a decent amount of space on the pavement. We met normal pedestrians, the Judge of Elections, and other volunteers that were handing out flyers. Being involved with elections was sort of scary. People kept asking questions that I didn’t know the answer to, and speaking to people is not one of my strengths. Many of the people knew exactly what their answers were without any clarifications for the questions. Some people wanted a further explanation, or they needed to explain their answers before actually answering. The polling both had a curtain and the person was hidden. Voting usually did not take long, and there were snacks. Some people were a little hostile about us being at their polling place, but others welcomed us.  

The sample ballots they gave us has certain people’s names in red and others in blue. In class we discussed that people who paid more money had their name in red. Outside, many of the volunteers would tell people a candidate's name and say, “For ______ press number 22!”. Although we went to different polling places, the sample ballots were all the same. It was interesting to see the people’s names on the sample ballot. There were posters everywhere advertising to vote for a particular candidate. My group member and I surveyed a couple people. The people were volunteers and also pedestrians. Their answers were pretty synonymous. I stood around more so than ask questions because I was shy. I still don’t understand a lot about how elections work. I am struggling to understand the difference of voting, how politicians can win in one vote, but lose in the other. I have a couple more years until I am able to vote, but I am glad I am getting a head start.