Embedded reporter, and, election poll worker seeks same

So, I woke up one morning and instead of fretting over the Diebold election machine coming to my county, I got hired as an poll worker. These are my responsibilies:


Attend training session on procedures to follow at voting locations.
Open voting location and prepare machines for voting.
Supervise or manage the registration book to verify eligibility of voters.
Ensure the proper ballots are supplied to voters.
Call the election office throughout the day to check on registrations, when necessary.
Close the polls, ensuring that all voters who are in line at 7:00 p.m. have the opportunity to vote.
Prepare vote tally sheets.
Prepare all supplies for pick up by, or delivery to, the election office.
Note: Working hours begin at 5:15 a.m. in Missouri and 6:00 a.m. in Kansas.



I've been reading about elections since 2000, but have never done this type of work. I'm ready to learn and take good notes. Are there any election poll workers willing to share notes, and give me a heads-up? I want to be a good poll worker and learn as much as possible.

Many candidates and party chairs have access to "street money" that can be used to retain lawyers. These lawyer should be with vehicle and roving around the different districts. What I found works best is the lawyers having the numbers of all of the poll workers. If a situation arises in which you witness any funny business, and you believe that the situation warrants a surprise visit, you just pull out your phone, call the lawyer, and leave it on the table, maybe under a piece of paper. The lawyer will know what polling station to go to by the number that comes up on caller ID. This may give the lawyers the ability to witness illegal actions first hand. Of course you should discuss this with the trainer. Sometimes, you need to act quickly and forcefully to prevent certain situations from occurring, loudly proclaiming that the lawyers are coming, but if you find yourself in a situation where you can provide a lawyer the opportunity to actually witness voting violations, it would go a long way to helping to guarantee a fair election. I had the same set up here in Philly.


Also, be weary of people attempting to hack the voting machines from remote locals within line of sight. Read the BradBlog link on this article about the infrared data transfer ports on some Diebold machines. I think a small piece of electrical tape can stop that from happening.



It's your job to make every vote count. It's good to hear that you have decided to step up and do something.