Actual voting and vote counting is dull stuff. I drank a lot of coffee on election day. Did a lot of little dances to stay alert. Not surprising fox junkies couldn't concentrate or comprehend the process. https://twitter.com/bradheath/status/1326422229316407296

We had 2 gop observers come in, dressed all in red. Looking for all the world like a Kmart version of the gun couple.
They wanted to look at the machines and patrol the voting enclosure with phones out.
But nah.

Chief Election Judge told them the rules.
You sit down.
You sit apart.
No phones.
You may not speak to voters or election officials.
If you leave, you may not come back.
They huffed and obeyed.

I appointed myself security over them and kept eyeballing them.
They trotted over to the Chief Judge asking questions. I'd creep over to listen.
The lady at one point wanted to know the number of ballots that had been accepted in the tabulator.

Chief Judge went and looked, returned with the number.
This Republican broad had the nerve to ask CJ for a pen!
CJ said dryly "you came to observe without pen and paper?"
R lady shuffled off.

There were 4-8 maga campaigners outside all day, just beyond the buffer zone. They were blocking the narrow walkway. Voters had to swing out into the parking lot to avoid them, where magas would still press them to accept a GOP voter guide.

I watched them a lot. Made a lot of eye contact. Built my description of them, should I be asked.

They saw me see them. Sometimes they cleared the walkway.

Then I noticed one of the outside maga campaigners kept coming in to use the restroom. I've stood outside campaigning. I have done this. It's not inherently wrong. But you speak to nobody, do your biz, and LEAVE.

Maga campaign lady tried to rifle through the voting enclosure trash.
Ostensibly to "reuse her gop voter guides"
I told her is she isn't voting she has to leave.
She scurried off.

The next time she came in "to pee" she signaled to the observer lady at the back.
They met in the bathroom.
I went in there. Just washing my hands forever. Looking at them.
More scurrying occurred.

At this point they know I see their hustle and they stop.
I told the chief judge. She kept an eye as well.
A few other magas tried to come in and "speak to the observers"
They were polite. They were all turned away. You don't get to hang out and chat in voting enclosures.

To be clear. If you are not voting, accompanying a voter, working, or a cleared observer, you cannot come in the voting enclosure in NC.

After all the maga penetration testing died down the Kmart gun couple looked really bored.
I was cleaning voting booths. They were jealous of me. I could see it.
This is dull stuff y'all.

Maga campaigners stayed outside, talking loud AF until polls closed. As it got dark I watched for intimidation. They really played just to the edge of legal in all ways.

End of the night. Kmart gun couple watches us pack up. Asks a few questions. Leaves.
I go outside to pull up signage.
THEY GOT IN THE CAR WITH THE MAGA CAMPAIGNERS.

Now. Nothing nefarious happened. But they were trying it.
You know who stopped it? Little gray women and me, who hardly spoke a word.

My eyes on them, my presence slowed down whatever they were up to.
A few well placed admonitions from the Chief Judge was all it took to establish order.

That's what our adversaries don't get about us.
I don't know the party affiliations of my fellow electoral officials, but we were all invested in the security and fairness of what happened in our voting enclosure.
We all worked to keep partisans in line.

Republicans likely did this all over the country on Tuesday and beyond.
Trying to cause stirs and drama in what is a very rote, dull, by-the-book process with no room for theatrics.

It sounds like they largely failed. They went looking for drama and found dedicated, caffeinated citizens, following the rules and treating every vote and voter with kindness and respect.

I'm proud to have served on 11/3. 554 votes were cast in my precinct.

We treated each one with the sacred trust they deserved.

Send your election officials love. Especially those who are still counting and filing paperwork.

In conclusion, election workers put their lives at risk so people could vote.

Some of them are still at it.