Election judges are ready to ensure political process goes smoothly

Staff

Published Sunday, October 31, 2004

By Jennifer Rogers, Tribune staff writer

Most people have a hard enough time figuring out how to correctly fill out their ballots on election day, let alone figuring out how to run an entire polling place. But Wayne Diercks has had practice.

Diercks, 76,

an election judge for the past three elections, no longer gets apprehensive about election day - he's just excited.

"The presidential election is going to be very close, they both want these two states (Minnesota and Iowa) so badly," said Diercks. "I just can't hardly wait until election day to see how it is going to pan out. This is definitely going to be an exciting election."

Diercks will join nine other election judges at Halverson Elementary School, one of 32 polling places across Freeborn County.

"We will put in about a 17-hour day, but it is very enjoyable work," said Diercks.

The day for election judges, certified volunteers, begins at 6 a.m. and goes until approximately 10 p.m.

"The polls open at 7 a.m. and you have to get the machines up, the flags up, all of the signs and ballots ready, and the booths open," said Diercks. "After the polls close at 8 p.m., you have to do all of the cleaning and counting, to make sure that everything is correct. After that we take it to the city clerk, and she takes it from there."

Approximately 90 election judges will be on hand at the 32 polling places to ensure that election day runs smoothly in Freeborn County.

To be an election judge, volunteers must be able to meet the following criteria: An election judge must be eligible to vote in the state of Minnesota; affiliated with a major political party; able to read, write and speak English; appointed by the appointing authority, such as county, city, township, or school board); and trained and currently certified as an election judge.

"The election judge is the front line for election night," said Dennis Distad, Freeborn County auditor and treasurer. "They are the ones that make sure that people who come into vote are registered, if not they register them, they make sure they get just one ballot, and they answer any questions that people may have. After the training that they receive from myself or Sandi Behrens, the city clerk, they are responsible for the election. They are the ones that make me look good, because they do their job at the polling place."

Election judges receive four hours of training from either Distad, Behrens, or organizations such as the League of Cities and the League of Townships. Training includes going over everything from registering voters on election day to any possible problems that may come up. A video is shown, showing how to open a polling place, checking through the ballot box, setting up the machines, making sure all of the supplies are there and that they are for that precinct.

Including the 90 election judges, there will be approximately 300 people working Tuesday night to ensure that the election runs smoothly.

"The city clerk and myself and our staff are here to put everything together and come up with the end results," said Distad.

Halverson Elementary School is the polling place for the 6th Ward, and Diercks is expecting an estimated 1,000 voters to show up throughout Tuesday.

"There are 1,358 registered voters in the 6th Ward," said Diercks, "which will be good, they'll keep us busy. Because we are a democracy it is our duty to vote. It is a privilege, but it is also a duty."

(Contact Jennifer Rogers at jennifer.rogers@albertleatribune.com or at 379-3439.)

---

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE THIS STORY?

---