A Florida Poll Worker’s Story of Hope and Determination
Darian Trabold, Editor-in-Chief
Every two years, Americans say the two most important words in the English language: “I voted.” When I was on jury duty, they told us jury duty was the second most important service in our country behind military service. I disagree with this assessment; I think voting is the second most important service. For my entire life I have always been very politically active, I believe it is important to stay informed and know what
is happening, it is our future on the line. One of the ways I stay politically active is by working for my local representatives and ballot measure campaigns in my home state of Florida. Not only did I spend my summer canvassing, phone banking, text banking, and post-carding, but I also worked the polls to help educate voters right before they went in to vote. In today’s political climate, it may seem scary to put yourself out there for a particular candidate or ballot measure, and I am not going to lie, the feeling of fear does not go away. However, it is minimized when you have amazing conversations with your neighbors and friends. It is also extremely fulfilling when something or someone you campaigned for is successful, it’s a feeling of satisfaction that the work you did actually made a difference. Even when you are not successful, the conversations you have with people still matter because they can open people up to a new perspective. No matter how you feel about what happened on November 5, our work is just beginning, the issues facing our world continue to persist no matter who is in the Oval Office. I want to share my experience working the polls during reading week, to encourage you, during whatever election is next for you, to take action; Do not sit by and just let it happen, you have a voice for a reason.
While working the polls may seem a bit strange, since many people think voters should know who they are voting for before they go to vote, a lot of the time, even the most prepared voters can get blindsided by a ballot measure or race they were not expecting. My ballot was four pages long and, in some places, you are not allowed to use your phone in a polling place. Some of these races are non-partisan it will not indicate on their ballot if a certain party endorses a judge or ballot measure. Moreover, if someone has a burning question or is feeling really torn about something, a poll worker is the last opportunity they have to get the clarity they need on the issue. Working the polls also forces you to be knowledgeable about local election topics since people could ask you about anything, making you a more informed voter. Even though I was at the polls for my state representative people were asking me about a variety of things including our city commission race and I would rather give an informed answer than no answer at all.
Without a doubt, the best part about working the polls is the friendships. Polls were open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day and when it was slow we would all sit down and talk. During those two weeks you become family; I still talk daily to some of the people I worked with. To Simone, Ryan, Rolando, Robyn, Ben, tall Ben, Ethan, Jack, and Kim thank you for giving me hope for the future and something that made leaving so hard.
I know some of us were heartbroken by the results of November 5 and that’s okay. Take time to grieve. I have no idea what the next four years are going to look like and while I am hoping for the best, one thing I know for sure is we cannot give up. Organizing matters, standing up for what you believe in matters, your voice and your vote matter. If they try to silence you, scream. If I learned one thing growing up in the South, it is that community is everything: we must love and support each other through difficult times. 2026 is just around the corner and we have to be ready.
Photo Credit: Darian Trabold
