To be a judge

In an hour or so, I'll hop in my car and drive to a nearby precinct where I will be an Election Judge. I have wanted to do this for some years. Frankly, I had seen that it's a very boring and tedious job (think hanging chads!) from my years as a Poll Challenger. Hours are very long (6AM to 10 PM). But something happened during the last election that nudged this to a higher priority in my mind.

Minnesota has one of the easiest set of voting rules to circumvent. If one wanted to vote, but could not do so legally, it would be very easy to so without getting caught. And, once having voted, the vote cannot be undone. (see here for example) The part that gets me is that we have a vouching system, where one registered voter can vouch for another. The other needs no proof of anything but a pulse (a slight exaggeration). This voucher can do this for up to 15 people. So if people wanted to organize a massive voting fraud - and they weren't concerned with taking oaths (you know, its all for the greater good!) - it would be quite easy to pull off. 16 people at 16 different precincts - 256 votes in place of 16.

But even one . . . even one would possibly negate my vote (or yours). I saw fraud before my eyes. I told the Election Judge that it was coming. I told the Election Judge that it was happening. I challenged it. The judge felt obliged to accept it because they took an oath. To some, an oath is a serious thing - to others, not so much.

So now I'm an Election Judge. For today, then for the more significant one in November.