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Good morning from a Residence Inn! As I get ready to go for my last day as a poll observer, driving through a sea of political signage, I’m going to take a moment to tell you about some Republicans I have met in #Arizona both in person and virtually. The first /1
who comes to mind is a retired deputy sheriff from Utah, member of the LDS church, who was on my zoom call yesterday learning how to use the Vote Joe app to reach out to friends and family to make sure they have a plan to vote. He took the time to personalize every text he /2
sent out so it was more meaningful to his friends.
Then there’s the young woman who is on my digital organizing team who has worked in Arizona politics for 10 years, including with John McCain directly. She’s not only voting for Biden, she has spent the last two weeks /3
Then there’s the young woman who is on my digital organizing team who has worked in Arizona politics for 10 years, including with John McCain directly. She’s not only voting for Biden, she has spent the last two weeks /3
leading online trainings like I have. I have led a dozen of these trainings now, and though this is anecdotal, it’s a big enough sample to say something: there has been at least one Republican in every group I’ve taught. /4
At the Glendale community college polling station, as at all voting locations, there must be a bipartisan staff. I spent two days lurking in the corner with my knitting, watching and listening to make sure there were no problems with voting. The two “judges,“ as they are /5
called, are from each party. The Democrat was a bubbly young woman in doc martens one day and Chucks the next, and the Republican was an older retired hairdresser with a hive of orange hair. They spent two days chatting up a storm about Halloween and Lake Tahoe and /6
model train sets and fishing and how Covid is saving her money she would have spent in slot machines in Prescott. When a voter had a technical question, they both jumped up and stood together to help them answer it and then went back to chatting. /7
The Republican lady wasn’t super sure about Covid - I mean she wore her mask the whole time like she was supposed to but she just thinks people are overreacting a little, like her brother who “stays home all the time and never talks to any people.” But then she realized he's /8
always been like that, even to the family at Thanksgiving. As the diverse stream of voters came in, she greeted them all with friendliness and respect.
I’m writing about these folks because we are a complicated country. Temperatures are heated and we’re all /9
I’m writing about these folks because we are a complicated country. Temperatures are heated and we’re all /9
pretty quick to get angry and offended, myself included. But I’m feeling a sense of calm settling in on me. I don’t know how it’s going to go tomorrow. I’m just staying down here at ground level, noticing the places where we connect with each other. /10
As today goes on, and tomorrow, I’ll keep posting little stories as things happen, and I hope you'll look for ways you can volunteer, instead of panic. There’s a lot you can do between now and tomorrow night. Here's one: make calls to Texas! http://poweredxpeople.org //11
Don't forget to breathe. We got this. /End
