My day as a poll monitor

The full team for 866 Our Vote Election Protection at South Phoenix Baptist Church.

The early morning shift, Alexa and Solveig.

Wanda from the Black Voters Matter van gave me a very cool T-Shirt!

(L-R) Wanda from Black Voters Matter, Jeanne from Defense Front, Alexa from Election Protection, and me.

Mom and four kids all wore Anti-Prop 139 shirts with QR codes.

Soundbite with Cronkite News (Arizona PBS)

Jeanne and I were both filmed for Cronkite News.

Richard from Defense Front stood at post all day in the middle of the parking lot, the unofficial parking lot attendant.

The voting venue, from well beyond the 75-foot line.

Proposition 139 bus on the move.

Jeff Zink’s ride.

At 5:15a on a really cold and dark Phoenix morning (I wore gloves till 9:30), I set out for South Phoenix Baptist Church on Broadway Road. I selected this location because I’d been a poll monitor there for the Presidential Preference Election in March, and I knew they ran a tight, professional operation, and it’s a church. The parking lot was already jammed at 5:45, so already… hmm. Big day a-comin’. It was fun to see Mr. Ed, again, my friendly deacon from March, and for two hours I hung out near the door, greeting folks, thanking them for voting, and shooting the breeze with Todd and Mr. Ed. Then the real fun began.

I was ceremoniously escorted — a double escort, in fact — to a spot beyond the 75-foot line. I was surprised to learn that I, like everyone else loitering in the parking lot, was considered an Electioneer, and all types like me are required to stand down. I met my delightful Election Protection colleague, Alexa — a young, soft-spoken Latina in her first election — who in 11 hours, never left her chair, nor hardly looked up from her phone.

In addition to Alexa and I from 866 Our Vote Election Protection, four people from Democracy Defense Front, via the Arizona Democracy Resource Center were there to do the same thing — monitor, protect, and report any shenanigans as necessary. This effort is part of its program to envision what it describes as a people-focused system of governance that transcends elections and builds “beyond tomorrow,”an initiative from Beyond Tomorrow,

We did a brisk business all morning. Beyond the line with me were Trumpers and never-Trumpers, Democrats in a Harris-Walz truck handing out voting guides. A very large Anti-Prop-139 bus, and a Black Voters Matter van (thanks Wanda, for the Black Voters Matter shirt). A democratic environmental attorney named Cory and his daughter, also an environmentalist, from California. Congressional candidate for District 3, Jeff Zink, hung out for a few hours, handing out flyers and commenting on his opponent, Yassamin Ansari (“She’s with Hamas. I’m the pastor. I bring the Bible.”). Michael D. Butts, candidate for Roosevelt School District #66 also canvassed for an hour or so.

Hey! Jeanne from Defense Front and I were filmed by a crew from Cronkite News (Arizona PBS), so that was fun. I’ll let you know if they publish any of the footage. Another news crew from USA Today was on hand.

All in all, it was easy duty. We watched. Mostly, we chatted, got to know one another. Respectfully. Many different opinions were shared, and we all practiced not rolling our eyes when we disagreed with the opinion shared. democracy in action, and I’m proud to have participated.