Election 2012

This is not a discussion of the results of the election of 2012; this is a discussion of my experience as a participant in the election of 2012.

I served as a Democratic Poll Watcher. Most people don’t even know Poll Watchers exist so I’m not surprised if you missed us at your precinct. As a Democratic Poll Watcher, my most important job is to make sure every eligible voter gets to vote.

Without question, it’s a fun experience but it is most certainly a long day. The best part of it? One voter. A young girl came in with her parents to vote for the first time. She had a slight mental handicap but was so incredibly excited to be there and cast her vote. Her parents were extremely proud. I was proud, too. I was proud to be a part of this great electoral process that definitely has it’s flaws but gives the people the opportunity to voice their displeasure or pleasure with their elected officials. It’s a wonderful process and it can be incredibly moving.

As far as the poll workers understanding the strict Florida voter ID requirements, the crew I worked with was excellent. The clerk was very knowledgable and the staff was well trained and helpful to voters when problems arose. I can’t say enough good things about the entire crew. Very friendly, very knowledgable and incredibly helpful.

There were quite a few provisional ballots handed out, partly because of Florida’s strict ID requirements. The location I worked handled about 1800 voters and about 30 provisional ballots. Provisional ballots are important because the person must contact their Secretary of Elections office by Thursday to cure their ID problem and make their vote count. 30 may not seem like many but keep in mind that President Obama only won Florida in 2008 with an average of 36 votes per polling place.

Every vote does count!

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Bryan is the founder of 2 Rights Make a Left. While obtaining his J.D., Bryan researched and wrote extensively on Capital Punishment, an issue that remains close to his heart to this day. He has spent the majority of his adult life involved in politics in some form or another. Bryan spends most of his time reading, writing and discussing all things politics. Bryan loves to travel and, if he had his way, would constantly be jetting off to another destination. The rest of his time is spent following his beloved Bears, Bulls and Cubbies.

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