I get very frustrated by the continued talk of the incompetence of election workers and officials. Probably because I am one. I love working for our election commission on a volunteer basis and being a part of something that is so essentially American that few things compare.
Yes, I remember Florida, Broward County, and "hanging chads." Those were undoubtedly some of the worst examples of our electoral system but not all of us are like that. I have met a great many of our local election volunteers. Most are highly educated professionals and lifelong servants of their community. These people have to train, be educated, and know well enough to communicate everything from election law to machine operations.
I have noticed a rather disturbing trend in my few years as an election official. Most of the workers are retirement age or older. As an Officer of Elections I am the one responsible and accountable for the complete operations of my polling place - the head chick in charge. In that capacity I must oversee everyone else in my precinct most of whom are old enough be my grandparents. The point is not that they are old and I'm in charge, its that election workers are a dying breed.
Has my generation become so apathetic to not care that some day there will be no one to take their ballot? What will we do then? This is why I am putting out this SOS early enough that we can inundate the Davidson County Election Commission with workers.
** If you are any age but especially under 40 please go to http://www.nashville.gov/vote/poll_official.htm and at least entertain the idea of serving your country in this small capacity. It is a volunteer position but it is paid. SO, if you work a job and use a vacation day, you effectively get paid twice for that day!
If you don't live in Nashville check out your local election commission.
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