It’s my little contribution to the integrity of the presidential election in a swing state.
This from a life-long resident of South Dakota, which is about as far from a presidential swing state as it gets.
But I wanted to do something. So, I gave my only N95 mask, which was given to me by a friend (thanks, Lynn), to another friend, who is in Florida to be a voting assistant.
I want to call my friend a poll watcher, but he won’t really be watching the polls. At least, not close up. As a South Dakota voter and resident, he won’t even be allowed to hang around inside the polling places. He’ll be outside, but in contact with poll watchers or local assistants inside, should someone have a problem voting and need his help or advice.
That voter will then go outside where my friend will be waiting to help answer questions and possibly assist in getting whatever might be needed to vote, in case that person’s eligibility was challenged or unclear or the person ended up at the wrong location.
Stuff like that, you know?
My friend is a Democrat and a lawyer who has worked on previous campaigns and for candidates, before and after they were elected to office. Of course, he’s a Biden guy in this race. And he voted blue before he left town. He’s not new to the election process and the role of poll watchers or assistants. He served in that role during the 2016 campaign, again in Florida.
He’s hoping for a different outcome this time.
My friend went to Florida to help legitimate voters cast their ballots. And he won’t just show up. His visit and work are coordinated by local Democratic officials there. And he received training before the 2016 vote and again before this one.
He won’t go to engage in the kind of voter-intimidation-type poll watching that President Trump seemed to be implying when he encouraged his supporters to “go into the polls and watch very carefully because that's what has to happen.”
The president made the comment when asked if he would tell his supporters to respect the election process. And in the past, he and his son, Donald Jr., and members of his campaign staff have said or tweeted things about the Democrats trying to “steal” the election with fraudulent voting practices, although they’ve never been able to show examples of large-scale voter fraud.
What my friend will be doing in the days leading up to the election is the exact opposite of voter fraud and election theft. And it has nothing to do with the kind of “poll watching” Trump seems to be encouraging — unofficial, untrained people, possibly armed in some cases, showing up at or near polling places in ways likely to be intimidating and possibly illegal.
My friend won’t be armed, except with a law degree, a persistent attitude, a lot of knowledge and experience, and at least one N95 mask. He was hoping to get a couple. He takes the virus seriously, even though he’s just a “kid” in his early ‘50s” in generally good health.
He also takes voting integrity seriously. And he’ll be there to observe the process, to help people with questions about voting, to provide assistance where he can, and to do his part to prevent voter intimidation by others.
It’s important work being part of a network of paid-and-volunteer workers and observers and assistants at polling places across the nation. While voting laws and regulations vary from state to state, in most jurisdictions across the nation, actual poll watchers must be approved in advance of the election.
Sometimes poll watchers are chosen by candidates up for election. Sometimes they’re chosen by party officials. Florida is one of the states that allows poll watchers to challenge someone’s right to vote. So, a poll watcher might challenge a voter’s right to cast a ballot, meaning the ballot cast will be provisional, and only valid if the person’s right to vote is confirmed.
My friend might be called upon to help in that confirmation process. He ended up doing that in 2016 and felt pretty good about it. Helping people who are eligible to vote and deserve to vote and want to vote but who are having some problem doing it was pretty rewarding in 2016 and he expects it to be rewarding again.
Why not do that work here in South Dakota? Well, the outcome of the presidential election here is pretty much pre-ordained. Not since Lyndon Johnson has a Democrat won here. And there’s no reason to believe Biden could carry any substantial part of South Dakota beyond Sioux Falls and the reservations.
I assume Biden will win most of the reservations, and Clay County. It’ll be interesting to see what other counties he carries and whether he wins Sioux Falls. Polling indicates he has a good chance to do that.
I voted early, several weeks ago. And I won’t be going to any polls to do any unofficial observing. That seems like an especially crazy idea with COVID on the loose. But apparently, state law and rules on election places would allow me to do that, as long as I didn’t do any electioneering or get in the way or become disruptive or distracting.
Poll workers are, of course, the backbone of the polling places. The brains, too. And the heart, I would argue. But you could argue that designated poll watchers are the eyes of the place. In general elections, there is to be one from each party, one from each independent candidate, one from each slate of presidential electors, and one from each side of ballot issues.
My buddy won’t be watching the polls from inside down in Florida. But he’ll be nearby in case someone needs help.
Florida is an important swing state, and he believes his work could matter in some small way to the outcome in that state, which could be significant to the outcome overall.
I’m happy to donate my N95 to that cause. And maybe it’ll help him avoid the virus, too.
