Election 2008

This past week has been an interesting one: had all sorts of things going, but the biggy was the 2008 Presidential Election on Tuesday where I serve as poll supervisor. Our election machines had to be set up by 7 a.m., so we were there at 5:45 to be sure they were up and running for the first voters. One fellow who came about 6:30. Chris told him we'd be open at 7. (We have had some people come and think they should vote right then because they were there.)The fellow said he didn't mind waiting, but he had always been the first voter in our precinct for the presidential election for I don't know how long. So he sat and waited so he could be first once more! Afterwards he told me he was 89 years old!

Voter turnout was great, about 70% of registered voters. After 8:00 p.m., we did all our paperwork, put away all our equipment, and took election results to Richfield. It was 9:30 p.m. Long day!

Right: Friends Leslie Gordon & Chris Kirkpatrick, dandy company for an all-day job!

Great people in Elsinore. I am impressed every time we do this sort of thing how kind and congenial they are, visiting with each other and not seeming to mind if they have to wait a little bit. We did have a line a couple of times during the day, and we were busy enough that I didn't have time to think about the book I brought in case business was slow.

Our polling place is the big, old town recreation hall, about 45 S. Center, which was built in the 1940's by the CCC (Civil Conservation Corps). The kids used to roller skate there, and every year they have a Halloween party and a town Christmas party, complete with the kids dancing the hokey-pokey just before Santa comes.

So the election is over for another year. One kid commented that I had been there ever since he could remember, and I guess I started registering voters in our home years ago when Calvin Rampton stepped down from being governor. I enjoy the experience, serving the community and getting to see folks that I don't see any other time.