The Florida Republican Primary

I’ve been a poll worker since 2006 but this was my first experience with a Republican primary. This year I have had the privilege of working on two early voting days. I feel odd saying this but everyone looked alike.

I might not have noticed their similarity had not one looked especially concerned and asked me if I was sure there was no fraud going on. That got me to paying attention. Three people were later turned away. All three were tall and slender, unlike the voters who tended to be heavier though not unpleasantly so. Not being the clerk, I don’t know why they were not allowed to vote. Frankly, I could not answer the concerned man. Everyone who voted looked like someone else who had already come through.

During the two days, I saw one Asian American and four who by their accent were Hispanic but did not really look it. There were three older women in wheel chairs and two older men who needed some special attention because of infirmity. And there were maybe eight young people in their twenties, all of whom looked like siblings. Beyond that, of the 528 voters who came through, it seemed like a social club of twenty couples just past middle age who took turns. I could not tell them apart. One woman made the mistake of wearing the same pink jersey with very distinctive embroidery twice within an hour.

They were all pleasant people, friendly and intent upon making their vote count.

The new voting system with paper ballots to back up the count of the scanning machines is close to fool proof as is the registration by drivers’ licenses. I trust the system which is a great improvement over the touch screens and chads of previous Florida elections.

I’m sure I’m wrong. But honestly, I couldn’t tell.