Poll Clerk Duo

If I could know more about one thing, without having to do homework on the subject, I would definitely elect international politics as my winning topic. I’ve tried at a few different junctures to educate myself on political matters, predictably around the time of an election, but always find it somewhat cumbersome to really get into. It all seems a bit of a day time soap opera; a corny dramatization spilling with ego and insincerity. He screwed her and they said that and blab bla bla. I know ignorance isn’t serving me, so I shouldn’t complain.

Anyway, for the first time ever, I decided to do something “political” (tee hee). I signed up to works the polls.

Soon after completing the online application (requiring only my name and address) I was scheduled for a drawn out 3 hour training session where I was given a 120 pg. how to handbook and instructed on every bitty detail of a day in the life of poll clerk. Feeling more than ready, I showed up to manage my appointed poll on October 6th, 2011 with my colleague for the day, 70 year old Vera. We were stationed in the games room at a Polish Retirement home in Parkdale. Amazing. We had 200 electors on our list, 75 of which bothered to brave the elevator to visit us and cast their vote.

In the 15 hours that Vera and I hung out, we got to know about each other quite well. She shared some Trinidadian recipes and didn’t mind when I took a nap. I played the organ for her and didn’t mind when she insisted we recount the ballots every 20 minutes or so. Most of the time we just laughed at how sneaky we felt to be getting paid nearly $200 each to just sit around. Then, we got angry at how stupendously wasteful and offensive it was for us to be getting paid $200 to just sit around, especially after learning there were 2 other polls on the same street!! What the F?! How much money can one government throw away?

As we parted ways at the end of a long day, Vera and I hugged and agreed to both keep in touch and get more involved in the next election. Neither are very likely, but what a delightful first (and last).