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November 2, 2008
Help me get outfitted for Election Day
In a case of either great minds thinking alike, or fools failing to differ (or both), I was planning a post asking for reader help in getting me set for my day at the un-polls (I'll explain that); and before I got to it, I saw that Newscoma has a very helpful guide up for those actually going to the polls. Check it out.
But in addition to the items she so thoughtfully included, I have some specific needs of my own, due to the nature of my task. As I mentioned the other day, I will be stationed at the Brainerd Rec Center for the sole purpose of directing would-be voters away from it, and toward their actual polling place.* I'm asking you to double-check my list and tell me what I'm leaving out.
- A sign that clearly indicates that there is no voting taking place in that location. This is a learning from last time.
- Maps and lists. I need a large, color map showing street names and voting precincts, so that I can tell people without their voter registration cards where they should go. To go with this, of course, I need a list of each precinct's voting location. Maybe I don't need these for the whole county, but it couldn't hurt. I see a trip to FedEx/Kinko's in my very near future.
- A power source for my iPhone. If a confused voter will give me his or her street address, I can obtain the correct polling place from the county election commission website. (Bookmarking it now.) Plus, if there is any downtime, I'll need to keep up with Twitter and all. Oh, and listen to music.
- A card table to hold the map and other materials.
- Plenty of fluids. I will be outside, and the weather will be unseasonably warm. Will need a hat, sunscreen, and possibly mosquito repellent as well.
- Lunch, and healthy snacks.
- Books. Staring at an iPhone all day can get kind of rough. I have Stanza loaded on it, but it will be good to read an actual dead-tree book as well.
- Patience, and calm. Unfortunately, these intangibles may be difficult to locate and pack. Hopefully I won't need them as much as I am anticipating.
What else? Thanks for your assistance.
*I can't seem to convince the Election Commission officials that the people who show up aren't limited to those in the #6 Brainerd precinct, whose polling location has moved from the Brainerd Rec Center to the BX. In fact, these are the minority. Most people who arrive think they can vote at Brainerd Rec on Election Day, when in fact it's only for early-voting.
Miscellaneous | By joe lance | 10:34 AM
Comments
This is a really good idea ... when I was campaigning at my precinct for Ron Paul in the primaries and Joe Dumas during the most recent election, I was surprised at how many people needed help finding their proper precinct.
Re: power sources; if you don't have anything already ... last time I used a couple of UPS units that I'd fully charged to power my laptop. The time before I had a power inverter in my car.
How many people did you have stop by the last time you did this?
Posted by: Jeremy Clifton at November 2, 2008 6:26 PM
since you can't pack patience and calm some pharmaceuticals might be a real good idea. You're a good man Joe Lance.
Posted by: Suzanne at November 3, 2008 9:49 PM