Our Voting is Secure

2 hours ago

2 min read

Thank an Election Worker

Voting in America is the foundation of our democracy. And it is a safe and secure process thanks to the poll workers, staff and elections officials who safeguard our right to vote.

Oct. 20 is Election Hero Day.

This is a non-partisan effort to simply say "thank you" to those who work on elections. This includes our state and local officials, paid poll workers and the observers and greeters that you see when you go to the polls.

When I first heard about this event, I was skeptical. Here in NC, we've seen the Republicans in power take over election boards and processes. But I've learned that the Henderson County board, and theoretically every board across the state, behaves in a strictly nonpartisan way and if they do not for some reason, there are two members as well as volunteer observers who cry foul.

Most importantly, the staff in the office, from Director Summer Heatherly to parttime/temp workers, are 100% committed to fair elections and are voters from both parties as well as UNAs.

We can feel very confident and comfortable that the Henderson County BOE (board members and staff) are working together and with procedures in place to protect and guarantee every eligible voter's vote.

A thought about 'paid' poll workers. They receive a very small amount of money to work the entire election day, so it's basically a volunteer job. And the observers and greeters, although partisan, are also volunteers. When you vote, feel free to say thank you to these folks, who are your neighbors and friends. Their work helps protect our elections and make sure that your vote counts.

I've worked two elections as a poll worker. I learned so much about the election process and how ballots are handled. It gave me such confidence in the election process. And it gave me a deeper appreciation for how our right to vote must be protected. At the last election, a gentleman told me that his great, great, great (he mentioned at least a dozen greats ...) grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War so that he could vote today. And that's why he never misses an election.