Voting, when I left around 2pm, was above average. Over 600 absentee ballots were received. The stupid part in actually voting was not the throw away pen (gee, SWAG from voting! Better than the stickers they hand out, although the Grandson would beg to differ).
I was there from about 11am until 1pm holding a sign for Norm Silber (running for the NH House) and spent much of the time talking with folks on the “Republican side” of the polling area. My “relief totem holder” arrived so I started to say my goodbyes. Glad it took a bit longer than I thought as a rather agitated man came up and said, in effect:
“you folks are each losing a vote from me because the Assistant Moderator really gave my now 18 year old son a very hard time in not wearing a mask so I AM NOT GOING INTO VOTE”.
Hmmm. I know that some stories had been floated past me and I was rather curious how Gilford was going to handle it as long term commenter Kathleen relayed that Henniker would effectively have a parallel system – one for masked folks and one for unmasked (either by choice or by medical condition) folks. Separate entrance / exit ways, booths, checkins, and tabulating machines. My hamlet? None of that.
They did have ONE booth for the unmasked and a process by which either the moderator or assistant moderator would escort them through the system which ended up at that one booth. Person would go in, fill out the ballot, and then be escorted to the tabulating machine. Before the next person entered, the entire booth would be disinfected.
I could see how this could take a lot of time – most of the people who arrived to vote were seniors and, truth be told, some of them take a long time to not just walk through to the booth but take time in contemplating their choices. Normally, this isn’t a problem as in the 35 years I’ve lived in town (and voting at all times of the day), I’ve never seen ALL the booths in use at one time. All I’ve had to do was the “public bathroom stall look down” looking for an empty stall booth signified by an absence of legs. And couple that with just one booth? You get the picture.
It wasn’t the amount of time that bothered the 18year old but he told his father how the Asst. Moderator was hectoring him about not wearing a mask to the point of almost intimidating him. Now, in talking with his dad, it didn’t seem that he was a typical snowflake kind of kid – much the opposite being homeschooled, learning right from wrong, and also having a conservative outlook. He was proud of having voted, for the first time, in the Presidential Primary held earlier this year.
I did believe him but one of the folks decided to get the Chair of the Selectboard (“CotS”) out onto the tarmac.
Sidenote: that’s what I love about small towns – you know who you have to know. Further, they KNOW you know and they’d best pay attention. It didn’t hurt that I had emailed him a couple of days ago (he’s also a local blogger) about this kind of situation of mask / no mask and what was our hamlet going to do?
He came out and I sidled along side to watch his reaction to this man, proud of his son and trying to defend his actions. Yes, the kid has a legit breathing problem and can’t wear a mask. The CotS listened intently, asked a few questions, and agreed that if this was the case, it needed to be rectified – AND FAST. The CotS basically said that it is now clear that they need at least a couple of booths; I put my hand up and waggled four fingers while giving him “that look”. “Four”, I said, and then waggled again, “four booths” and it needs to be fixed straight away. He sighed and said “let’s see what can be done but one isn’t enough”.
Now, and for full disclosure, I’ve known the Asst Moderator well – he is normally a low key, highly mannered person that doesn’t make waves (unlike, to no one’s surprise, moi). The CotS went back inside and I ran to get a mask out of my truck (no, being outside, I wasn’t wearing one) and followed suit. Both the CotS and Asst Moderator quick got the idea that I’d be doing exactly this – it is important – and the latter gave me his side of the story. It, of course, varied a bit from the Dad and fell into more inline of what I knew of his nature. Without questioning others, it is now a he said / she said kind of deal but I’m betting both of them have aspects of the story that are right.
Long story shortened, the 18 year old waited in line for the two folks ahead of him to vote. Then he relayed the story back to his Dad who came back with a head full of steam (and rightfully so – Dads should take their kids’ side first UNTIL they are proven wrong).
The important part is that my hamlet immediately looked to change its procedures when it became clear that they were inadequate. That’s where small towns are far better than bigger cities because the people who can MAKE the decisions are IMMEDIATELY held to account by those of us who know when something is wrong. Given that the Moderator, Asst Moderator, the CotS and another Selectboard member, and the Town Clerk were all in the same gym/room, there was no hierarchy / red tape in the way.
I did point out to the CotS the sign at the “check-in” spot that the NH Secretary of State has pushed out to all of the polling places – the same “sandwich sign” I had seen online . I don’t have a copy here and the picture that Norm sent had technical problems in transmission but item #2 on it starts off with “2. Wear a mask….”. I blithely pointed out to CotS that it obviates the Town’s willingness to allow all to vote, that not wearing a mask didn’t obviate a person’s Right to Vote. Instead, the message sent was “No mask -> no voting” (NHPR wall image instead of the “sandwich sign” at our polling place but same verbiage):
I suggested that it be taped over. CotS suggested that “Please” be put in the front of “Wear” and went off to find said tape.
I went outside and met up with the Dad as he was leaving and told him what had just happened. Turns out that after he saw people try to right a wrong, he voted after all. I have no idea who he voted for – it didn’t matter. More to the point, making the accommodation for the pandemic was made better and the apology was given.
So, what are YOUR stories of the day?
