I haven't stepped into a voting booth since 1996. I have voted, but since I moved to San Francisco back in 1998, I have voted by mail. When I moved abroad, I switched my residency back to the State of Washington and King County allowed by to receive my ballot by email, vote, print out my ballot and fax it in from both Italy and China. Color me impressed at the ease at which I could vote with a bit of effort and foresight (registering as an absentee voter!). So, this past May, I again received by election guide and voting materials in the mail and I'm perusing the guide and the City of County of San Francisco is looking for clerks to staff the precincts and will pay $145 for the day. Since I was out of school on June 7th (California Primary Day), I went down to City Hall and took a 20 minute computer test which gave me some rules to read and master, make sure I could alphabetize and put numbers in ascending numerical order. During my interview, they asked if I had a car and I suddenly was promoted to a precinct inspector and would return for a three and a half hour training class the following Saturday, three days before the election. On that day, I was assigned a inspector wheel-y bag in which I held the ballots, voter registration booklet as well as other important papers (most importantly a custody transfer sheet) and took them home. I had some 2000 ballot cards in my possession. This is how I found myself at in front of Fire Station #29 at the northern base of Potrero Hill at 5:45AM the morning of June 7th with the inspector wheel-y bag.
As I recount my experience, what I want to point out is how many of the acts and requirements I had to perform and attest with my signature to were all in the name of equity of voting and transparency of the system. You, like me, will be impressed at ALL of the thought and care that has been put into this election system and hope that where you vote cares so much about the integrity of the process as the City of County of San Francisco.
6AM My three assigned clerks, one a late-20's (maybe early 30's) French guy with green hair, a Chinese-American rising high school senior girl from San Francisco and another Chinese-American graduate of an independent school here in San Francisco and lives in Oakland all arrive and start setting up the station. We have to set up the voting "booths" and the clerks get the ballots (ballots are translated into Chinese, English, Spanish and Tagalog) set up, the signs teaching people how to vote in the languages above as well as providing facsimile ballots for prefer Korean and Japanese. One clerk is out posting the voter bill of rights as well as signs pointing to the fire station polling place. I as the inspector have to set up in electronic vote counting machine, which requires me to match security codes on the plastic ties keeping machine doors closed as well as zippered bags. I break them open and then have to attach temporary plastic ties and record those numbers as well. I have to have all the clerks attest and sign a sheet of paper stating that the reader is at 0 and that there are no ballots in the machine.
The second machine I need to set up is the touchscreen voting machine. Every voter is allowed to use an assisted voting device and in this case for those who want, they can use a touch screen voting machine. This machine also has to be set up so the voter can get a private printout of their vote for their eyes only. In addition, this machine comes with an audio assistance machine as well so those who are hard of sight can also vote by holding a device in their hand and wearing headphones.
The voter registration table is also full of items that deal with issues of equity. For instance, magnifying glasses are provided, special pens that help those who have arthritic hands as well as signs in all the four languages are on the table.
7AM: Polls open. The clerks and I take the oath of pollworkers to provide assistance and to not influence voters. Between 7AM and 830AM is the rush of morning voters. We have, on the roster around 1,200 registered voters in the precinct. About 40% have already been issued a mail ballot and it's noted in the roster. Since this is a primary, we have ballot cards for the following parties: Democratic, Republican, Green, Libertarian, American Independent and the Peach & Freedom. However, we also have other ballot cards. Some people are registered as Non Party Voters, however, the Libertarian, American Independent and Democratic Parties all have invited Non Party Members to vote in their primary. But a Non Party Voter can also just vote unaffiliated and therefore not vote in the presidential primary. Therefore we have 10 different voting cards on the table in three different languages (all ballots are a combo of Chinese/English, Spanish/English or Tagalog/English) that a voter can choose from.
VOTING PROCESS:
The easiest to process is a voter from anywhere in San Francisco, comes in with a completed mail ballot. We check to see it's signed and sealed. They put it in a ballot box and get an "I voted" sticker. Total time? 10 seconds.
So a voter comes in and gives their last name (no ID required and that surprises almost everyone) and we look them up in the roster. Their name is there, they haven't been issued a mail ballot, they agree with their party registration it's the most straightforward voter. The clerks hand them a blue ballot secrecy folder in which their ballot and ballot receipt number inside and they voter goes off to vote. Once done, the voter then puts the card into the electronic vote counter and if a happy sound is made, they get an I voted sticker.
Oh, if it were all so easy! So, as voter comes in and asks for ballot but they have already been sent a mail ballot. A couple of options. The voter can go back, get their ballot fill it in and drop it off. Bring in the ballot, surrender the mail ballot (by writing VOID on all sides of each ballot card and putting it in the ballot box) and then vote regularly. Or they get a provisional ballot, which simply means their ballot is NOT counted electronically and is counted by hand at City Hall and processed later. It turns out that many people do not like the idea of voting provisionally and not having their vote processed immediately. However, they vote provisionally unhappily.
Some voters come in and their names are NOT on our precinct voter roster. If they know they are registered in San Francisco, we can redirect them to their precinct or they can vote provisionally at our precinct. I would say that most people went to their home precincts but some couldn't make it back and voted provisionally.
Some voters were from other counties (Alameda, San Mateo, San Diego) and we had to explain to them that the only votes that would count on their ballot is the presidential primary and the vote for US Senator. Otherwise all the San Francisco specific elections, initiative and propositions would not be counted. In addition, their votes would eventually be transferred to their home county and used in those results and not in San Francisco's results. We had a number people who did this and they again vote provisionally.
Some voters come in and are unhappy with their party affiliation. For instance, someone is registered in the Republican party, but wants to vote in the Democratic primary. They again, have to vote provisionally. Seriously, I would NOT want to be one of those people who has to figure out and process the provisional votes at City Hall.
The most interesting and heart warming case was a couple guys who had never voted before and knew that they weren't registered to vote but wanted to vote anyway. We can't turn anyone away so they voted provisionally and took selfies with their ballots. Their votes won't count, BUT they filled out voter registration cards.
We even had one voter request and use the assisted voting machine. One of my supervisors was actually there when it occurred and watched me struggle through the instructions of how to get it to work, but we did it. At the end, he told me it was the first time he had ever seen that machine used as well!
Throughout the day, elections inspectors are checking in and seeing how things are going. The Department of Elections called to see how many votes we had processed. A technician came by to make sure our machines were working. The fireman in the station were coming in and out on calls (the guy who backs in the fire truck drives that thing like a BOSS). And a American With Disabilities Act inspector came by to check the claim that the slope into the station was compliant for wheelchair users.
8PM Yes, 13 hours later, polls close. The last voter, provisional from a different county starts voting at 7:58PM. And now the real craziness begins. Clerks are counting unused ballots, counting the many different items in the ballot box (voided cards, vote by mail envelopes, provisional ballots) and everyone is tallying. As the inspector, I am in charge of transferring the electronic tabulations from the machine as well as the assisted voting machine. I get a printout from the electronic voting processing machine (had 130 voters -- 10%) go through during the day and the clerks and myself have to sign it. The memory cards and the printout summarizing the results are secured by an agent of the Department of Parking and Transportation. He seals the bubble bag and I sign a form transferring custody of those items to him and he goes off to City Hall.
Then, the clerks have packed up all the unused ballots, the provisional ballots, voided ballots all in different colored bags. I pack out the ballots from the electronic voting machine, the printer off the assisted voting machine and the roster (again all in different colored bags). These bags get put into the wheel-y bag and I sign over the custody transfer of these to a Sheriff of the City and County of San Francisco. Then he takes off.
The clerks and I clean up and I have to post three items outside on the wall for anyone to come by and see what happened that day. I post the summarized printout of the electronic voting. I post a copy of the number of ballots we were issued, how many we used, how many votes we received by mail, how many voided ballots, how many provisional ballots were used. And lastly, I post a sheet stating that we had no mechanical issues or any irregularities in voting.
We breakdown all the tables and voting booths. Pack up all the supplies and make sure we leave the items in a nice pile for pick up. The fireman were out on a call and so I got to close the big fire door. Turn off the lights and go home. Exit time: 9:25PM.
It's a fascinating experience and I'm still amazed at the amount of those and planning that goes into running an election and to think that there are so many different moving parts from each precinct having a different ballot because they might be in a different assembly district or congressional district and having to take care of those details.....I say KUDOS to the Department of Elections here in San Francisco.
As I recount my experience, what I want to point out is how many of the acts and requirements I had to perform and attest with my signature to were all in the name of equity of voting and transparency of the system. You, like me, will be impressed at ALL of the thought and care that has been put into this election system and hope that where you vote cares so much about the integrity of the process as the City of County of San Francisco.
6AM My three assigned clerks, one a late-20's (maybe early 30's) French guy with green hair, a Chinese-American rising high school senior girl from San Francisco and another Chinese-American graduate of an independent school here in San Francisco and lives in Oakland all arrive and start setting up the station. We have to set up the voting "booths" and the clerks get the ballots (ballots are translated into Chinese, English, Spanish and Tagalog) set up, the signs teaching people how to vote in the languages above as well as providing facsimile ballots for prefer Korean and Japanese. One clerk is out posting the voter bill of rights as well as signs pointing to the fire station polling place. I as the inspector have to set up in electronic vote counting machine, which requires me to match security codes on the plastic ties keeping machine doors closed as well as zippered bags. I break them open and then have to attach temporary plastic ties and record those numbers as well. I have to have all the clerks attest and sign a sheet of paper stating that the reader is at 0 and that there are no ballots in the machine.
The second machine I need to set up is the touchscreen voting machine. Every voter is allowed to use an assisted voting device and in this case for those who want, they can use a touch screen voting machine. This machine also has to be set up so the voter can get a private printout of their vote for their eyes only. In addition, this machine comes with an audio assistance machine as well so those who are hard of sight can also vote by holding a device in their hand and wearing headphones.
The voter registration table is also full of items that deal with issues of equity. For instance, magnifying glasses are provided, special pens that help those who have arthritic hands as well as signs in all the four languages are on the table.
7AM: Polls open. The clerks and I take the oath of pollworkers to provide assistance and to not influence voters. Between 7AM and 830AM is the rush of morning voters. We have, on the roster around 1,200 registered voters in the precinct. About 40% have already been issued a mail ballot and it's noted in the roster. Since this is a primary, we have ballot cards for the following parties: Democratic, Republican, Green, Libertarian, American Independent and the Peach & Freedom. However, we also have other ballot cards. Some people are registered as Non Party Voters, however, the Libertarian, American Independent and Democratic Parties all have invited Non Party Members to vote in their primary. But a Non Party Voter can also just vote unaffiliated and therefore not vote in the presidential primary. Therefore we have 10 different voting cards on the table in three different languages (all ballots are a combo of Chinese/English, Spanish/English or Tagalog/English) that a voter can choose from.
VOTING PROCESS:
The easiest to process is a voter from anywhere in San Francisco, comes in with a completed mail ballot. We check to see it's signed and sealed. They put it in a ballot box and get an "I voted" sticker. Total time? 10 seconds.
So a voter comes in and gives their last name (no ID required and that surprises almost everyone) and we look them up in the roster. Their name is there, they haven't been issued a mail ballot, they agree with their party registration it's the most straightforward voter. The clerks hand them a blue ballot secrecy folder in which their ballot and ballot receipt number inside and they voter goes off to vote. Once done, the voter then puts the card into the electronic vote counter and if a happy sound is made, they get an I voted sticker.
Oh, if it were all so easy! So, as voter comes in and asks for ballot but they have already been sent a mail ballot. A couple of options. The voter can go back, get their ballot fill it in and drop it off. Bring in the ballot, surrender the mail ballot (by writing VOID on all sides of each ballot card and putting it in the ballot box) and then vote regularly. Or they get a provisional ballot, which simply means their ballot is NOT counted electronically and is counted by hand at City Hall and processed later. It turns out that many people do not like the idea of voting provisionally and not having their vote processed immediately. However, they vote provisionally unhappily.
Some voters come in and their names are NOT on our precinct voter roster. If they know they are registered in San Francisco, we can redirect them to their precinct or they can vote provisionally at our precinct. I would say that most people went to their home precincts but some couldn't make it back and voted provisionally.
Some voters were from other counties (Alameda, San Mateo, San Diego) and we had to explain to them that the only votes that would count on their ballot is the presidential primary and the vote for US Senator. Otherwise all the San Francisco specific elections, initiative and propositions would not be counted. In addition, their votes would eventually be transferred to their home county and used in those results and not in San Francisco's results. We had a number people who did this and they again vote provisionally.
Some voters come in and are unhappy with their party affiliation. For instance, someone is registered in the Republican party, but wants to vote in the Democratic primary. They again, have to vote provisionally. Seriously, I would NOT want to be one of those people who has to figure out and process the provisional votes at City Hall.
The most interesting and heart warming case was a couple guys who had never voted before and knew that they weren't registered to vote but wanted to vote anyway. We can't turn anyone away so they voted provisionally and took selfies with their ballots. Their votes won't count, BUT they filled out voter registration cards.
We even had one voter request and use the assisted voting machine. One of my supervisors was actually there when it occurred and watched me struggle through the instructions of how to get it to work, but we did it. At the end, he told me it was the first time he had ever seen that machine used as well!
Throughout the day, elections inspectors are checking in and seeing how things are going. The Department of Elections called to see how many votes we had processed. A technician came by to make sure our machines were working. The fireman in the station were coming in and out on calls (the guy who backs in the fire truck drives that thing like a BOSS). And a American With Disabilities Act inspector came by to check the claim that the slope into the station was compliant for wheelchair users.
8PM Yes, 13 hours later, polls close. The last voter, provisional from a different county starts voting at 7:58PM. And now the real craziness begins. Clerks are counting unused ballots, counting the many different items in the ballot box (voided cards, vote by mail envelopes, provisional ballots) and everyone is tallying. As the inspector, I am in charge of transferring the electronic tabulations from the machine as well as the assisted voting machine. I get a printout from the electronic voting processing machine (had 130 voters -- 10%) go through during the day and the clerks and myself have to sign it. The memory cards and the printout summarizing the results are secured by an agent of the Department of Parking and Transportation. He seals the bubble bag and I sign a form transferring custody of those items to him and he goes off to City Hall.
Then, the clerks have packed up all the unused ballots, the provisional ballots, voided ballots all in different colored bags. I pack out the ballots from the electronic voting machine, the printer off the assisted voting machine and the roster (again all in different colored bags). These bags get put into the wheel-y bag and I sign over the custody transfer of these to a Sheriff of the City and County of San Francisco. Then he takes off.
The clerks and I clean up and I have to post three items outside on the wall for anyone to come by and see what happened that day. I post the summarized printout of the electronic voting. I post a copy of the number of ballots we were issued, how many we used, how many votes we received by mail, how many voided ballots, how many provisional ballots were used. And lastly, I post a sheet stating that we had no mechanical issues or any irregularities in voting.
We breakdown all the tables and voting booths. Pack up all the supplies and make sure we leave the items in a nice pile for pick up. The fireman were out on a call and so I got to close the big fire door. Turn off the lights and go home. Exit time: 9:25PM.
It's a fascinating experience and I'm still amazed at the amount of those and planning that goes into running an election and to think that there are so many different moving parts from each precinct having a different ballot because they might be in a different assembly district or congressional district and having to take care of those details.....I say KUDOS to the Department of Elections here in San Francisco.