It’s a thankless job. But somebody needs to do it.
Tuesday marked a big day for the dozens of persons who work to ensure our democracy.
Early Wednesday morning, while most were just starting to stir, dozens of people county wide who are just getting into REM sleep.
It was after 2:30 a.m. when unofficial Primary results were posted by the county clerk’s office.
But it’s not a one-day engagement. The county clerk’s office and township election workers have spent an accumulative 100 hours of training in preparation for the special day(s).
Major changes in Michigan election law have impacted workers greatly.
Gone are the days you pulled back the curtain and made your selections which were recorded by a machine.
The opportunities to vote have grown exponentially requiring extensive training for absentee, early voter ballots and at the traditional polling place.
The responsibility is immense but compensation is not great considering the time and effort put into it — from $18 to $20 for township election workers and $20 to $25 per hour for early election workers.
Election days begin early with most workers getting up well before 7 when polls open and, like this week can go, well into the following day.
Elsewhere, poll workers have been criticized. In one case in Georgia, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, was ordered to pay $147 million in damages after a jury ruled that he had defamed a mother-sister with accusations of election fraud.
Fortunately, there was no such animus reported locally. The reason for this may be that when you vote in person, you see — and in many cases know — that person confirming your identity, issuing your ballot and directing you to deposit your completed ballot in the big black counter.
Kudos to our election inspectors and the county clerk’s office which works tirelessly to make sure Election Day runs smoothly.
Thank you for stepping up and getting the job done.
