In Grandville, today's special election will choose a new state rep for House District 74 -- hopefully Walker commissioner Carol Glanville. In Wyoming the special election considers two city proposals and a school bond issue.
But for me, the special election means a long day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. working in a Wyoming polling place. I've been working as an election inspector in Grandville and Wyoming precincts since 2016. Working at the polls, I have learned a new respect for our election process. Anyone who fears that our elections have been compromised only needs to spend a day or two working the polls to be convinced of how secure they are.
When we arrive we unpack and inspect the tabulator. We confirm the serial number that this is the machine listed for our precinct. We unlock it and inspect every nook and cranny to be sure no errant ballots have been stashed in there. We run a zero tape to be sure that no votes are in the machine's memory and inspect the seals on the tabulator to assure nothing has been tampered with.
As the voters arrive we check photo IDs, filtering out those who invariably show up at the wrong polling place and direct them to the right location. They fill out an application to vote, which we compare to our log of registered voters in the electronic poll book. The poll book alerts us if the person received a ballot by mail so we can be sure they don't vote twice.
Most voters present their driver's license which can be scanned right into our pollbook speeding up the process. Michigan law allows a person who does not have the appropriate photo ID to vote by signing an affidavit, but in all the elections I have worked this is fairly rare, maybe an elderly lady who doesn't drive any more or someone who left their license in the car. We seldom have more than a couple people at each precinct who opt to fill out the affidavit rather than show ID.
We try to be accommodating so everyone gets their constitutional right to vote. Every precinct has an assisted terminal with computer screen and headset so blind voters, as well as those with limited mobility, can make their choice. But at the same time we have layer after layer of safety precautions to make sure no one "stuffs the ballot box."
As the day goes on we double check frequently the ballot numbers and voter numbers so we are sure our records and the tabulator agree. We want everything to balance when the polls close. We run another tape tabulating all the votes at the end of the day so we have a paper copy of the votes tabulated by the machine as well as an electronic tally. All the paper ballots are in a sealed pouch in case a recount becomes necessary.
Voting is the cornerstone of our country. So you can go to the polls, or request an absentee ballot, with complete confidence.
