Last week local county election judges were asked to come in to help process mail-in ballots. Only official election judges can verify signatures. There were 10 computers and not always 10 of us to process volunteers. 1/7 #CountEveryVote

We also were asked about party affiliation because the county clerks office wants to make sure it's a mix in the room.

Some voters have a signature history, others do not. Rejecting a signature required three of us and our signatures on the physical envelope.2/7 #CountEveryVote

During a four-hour shift I could go through anywhere from 1,200-2.400ish ballots depending on easily I could match signatures, etc. Out of a batch of about 1,200 ballots a judge on an unofficial average rejected 3 ballots, some because of a missing signature on the envelope.3/7

None of the election judges I worked w/ over 4 days wanted to reject ballots. Sometimes it took longer because three of us, wearing masks, would hover around a single computer TRYING to find similarities between signatures so that the ballot cast could be counted because...4/7

we all believed that if someone took the time to register, request, fill out, and return a ballot was due the respect and time.
Those ballots didn't get to us until the outer envelope was opened, scanned, organized by date, location of drop-off and receiving. 5/7 #CountEveryVote

After signatures are verified, ballots had to go have that envelope opened, ballots stacked and THEN counted.
Add the global pandemic, an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots in many places, a postal service that had its own share of shenanigans. 6/7 #CountEveryVote

It takes a long time, people. Be patient.
And besides, someone with power keeps telling his followers to count ballots in one place and stop counting in another place. I'm sure people are confused. 7/7 #CountEveryVote

A few more thoughts. Election judges in my county volunteer to be trained/certified but we found out we were going to be paid, we think, $10/hr taxable for the hours we processed ballots. I think I get paid $140 for the 17 hours I worked the polls Tuesday. I didn't do it for $.

I did it because as a naturalized citizen I understand people died for my right to become a citizen who can vote. I helped process ballots because I saw it as sacred work that only some of us in the county could do.