the best laid plans...
Well, all my plans for my evenings yesterday and today went out the window when Mom called yesterday to recruit me as a substitute Election Judge tomorrow for a nearby precinct. One of the problems with these local elections is that the county has a very hard time getting Judges that will stick it out beyond the Big Elections (Presidential and Gubernatorial). Most Judges go absentee for these local ballots, which is a shame, really.
So now I'm the Election Judge for a new precinct, and Dad and I have to run the whole thing, most likely by ourselves. Eep!
Add to that it's a run-off election with low turnout expected. The lovely people at the equipment pickup site recommended a good book and a pillow. :P
So anyway I aborted my trip to the Central Market and went straight home from work, so that Dad and I could then get on the freeway to go across town to pick up our equipment. We had an adventure. (Ha, ha, that means we missed our exit and got a little confused in North Houston. Which is sort of silly considering we'd been to the joint several times before, just from the other freeway.) Finally, we figured out how to get to the street we should have exited on, and got to the Election Technology Center, and the very lovely people there explained the procedures and had me sign the forms. Now I am in possession of all of the exciting tools of Election Judge life, woot. (This is mostly lots of exciting color-coded envelopes and masses of paperwork.)
Too bad we don't have more registered voters willing to be clerks. It's going to be a slow day, but having even one other person (especially someone who speaks Spanish) would be such a help. I am sure that we will manage nonetheless, and with luck I'll be able to break out the laptop and do some writing or art, or maybe watch a movie.
Unfortunately, even if there was wireless internet nearby, it's against the law to use connected communication devices on the premises of the polling place - that includes personal cell phones, PDAs, wireless internet, etc. So no chatting for me. Maybe I'll even bring my magazines that have been stacking up in a sort of bizarre sandbag foxhole arrangement around the edge of my desk.
Tonight we get to go caravan around to set up two polling sites. Fun times, man. Fun times.
So now I'm the Election Judge for a new precinct, and Dad and I have to run the whole thing, most likely by ourselves. Eep!
Add to that it's a run-off election with low turnout expected. The lovely people at the equipment pickup site recommended a good book and a pillow. :P
So anyway I aborted my trip to the Central Market and went straight home from work, so that Dad and I could then get on the freeway to go across town to pick up our equipment. We had an adventure. (Ha, ha, that means we missed our exit and got a little confused in North Houston. Which is sort of silly considering we'd been to the joint several times before, just from the other freeway.) Finally, we figured out how to get to the street we should have exited on, and got to the Election Technology Center, and the very lovely people there explained the procedures and had me sign the forms. Now I am in possession of all of the exciting tools of Election Judge life, woot. (This is mostly lots of exciting color-coded envelopes and masses of paperwork.)
Too bad we don't have more registered voters willing to be clerks. It's going to be a slow day, but having even one other person (especially someone who speaks Spanish) would be such a help. I am sure that we will manage nonetheless, and with luck I'll be able to break out the laptop and do some writing or art, or maybe watch a movie.
Unfortunately, even if there was wireless internet nearby, it's against the law to use connected communication devices on the premises of the polling place - that includes personal cell phones, PDAs, wireless internet, etc. So no chatting for me. Maybe I'll even bring my magazines that have been stacking up in a sort of bizarre sandbag foxhole arrangement around the edge of my desk.
Tonight we get to go caravan around to set up two polling sites. Fun times, man. Fun times.