This has been an overwhelmingly positive experience for most of our volunteers. Far more voters than we anticipated flash us a thumbs-up or stop by to thank us for being there. And we are mostly able to just say, "Have a nice day" & move on to voters who are rude or unkind. #PollGreeterDiaries
We got them support & a responsible, moderate GOP state Rep who just happened to be there diffused the situation, as did election commission staff. Our volunteer went home & others took over. It ended okay, but was not great. #PollGreeterDiaries
That Republican got in our volunteer's face, yelling about his imagined ideas about voting machine fraud. Mind you, our county replaced its voting machines post-2020 after the GOP threw a hissy fit about the old ones. Our volunteer was scared & shaken up.
Also today, a voter approached one of our volunteers about an issue they'd had with a voting machine. The vol (correctly) sent him to the poll worker in charge & informed our party chair, who handles these things. But a Republican overheard their conversation & started screaming conspiracy theories.
Today, a young woman cried in our tent. We offered her hugs. She moved here two years ago from a blue state & has been overwhelmed by the meanness & dominance of our GOP neighbors. Being able to send someone home with the knowledge that they aren't alone is a powerful experience. #PollGreeterDiaries
Several times since early voting began, we've had women approach our tents to thank us for being there, then burst into tears. It's hard to overstate how alone people feel in a community where Trumpism is the norm. We try to get them connected with local progressive groups & assure them we're here.
White guys for Trump have questions: bsky.app/profile/texa...
Poll greeters are the people who stand outside voting locations urging you to vote for our candidates. Our volunteers stand under tents, hold signs, & talk to voters. A lot of the job is answering questions about down ballot candidates. We're also a friendly face for Dems, who often feel alone here.
Here are some of our experiences so far: #PollGreeterDiariesbsky.app/profile/texa...
Here is an excerpt from a once-classified film documenting the deployment at Gioia del Colle of the Jupiter intermediate-range ballistic missile, which was originally developed by the US Army but re-assigned to the US Air Force in 1956 for political reasons.
YouTube video by NICLA BISCARDI