Musings: A first-time poll worker sees voters' appreciation
Poll worker Melanie Cowans of Hempstead helps out at an early voting site at the Hempstead Recreation Center on Nov. 2. Credit: Rick Kopstein
I became a poll worker this year to join those standing firm in the battle against election denialism. I was assigned to a polling station at the public library in my hometown of Port Washington.
There, I witnessed the America we all long for — a place where partisan politics is set aside in favor of the common good, where Democrats, Republicans, and independents work hand-in-hand to keep our democracy viable.
When the poll doors opened, voters gathered as a community to take part in a shared cultural event, the exercise of a sacred American right. They were people of all ages, genders, and colors. Watching them cast their ballots, I saw firsthand how we as a nation are living up to our core principle, that all of us are created equal. One person, one vote.
Most first-time voters I saw were young, American-born and brimming with excitement. Recent immigrants, who’d been denied the vote in their native lands, were also eager to realize a lifelong dream. Their sense of pride after they cast their votes was a joy to behold.
Naturalized citizens also worked the polls. One man toils at three jobs but took leave of one of them to volunteer as an election inspector. When I asked him why, he told me he wanted to give back, passionately speaking of his love for America and its promise.
Given the current political situation, some voters questioned the integrity of the election process. They were concerned about the accuracy of the voting machines. Poll workers assured them that their votes were secure and would be counted. And they were.
As voters left the polling area, regardless of party affiliation, they went out of their way to thank election workers. Civility had triumphed.
Some say that America is a nation in decline. But the truth seemed to be revealed at the Port Washington Public Library on Election Day. When we Americans trust and work with each other, we are capable of astonishing achievements, most notably, conducting free and fair elections.
America is great because its people are great. Let no one tell you otherwise.
— Gavin Boyle, Port Washington
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