Before heading to the polling place today, I was a little concerned. I'd read about voter intimidation tactics and skirmishes in various cities. I'd never had a problem at either of the polling places where I'd voted in Kirkwood, Missouri before. Still, I thought, emotions are running high during these divisive times, and the pandemic doesn't help matters.
I'm pleased that my back-of-mind concerns were unfounded. The two words that kept coming to mind during my 90-minute wait to vote were "neighborly" and "civil." Here's what impressed me:
- Two women ahead of and behind me in line went out of their way to see that a man using a walker didn't need to exert himself more than necessary. One of them asked the other if the polling place made provisions for differently abled voters. The other woman called her daughter-in-law, who was one of the poll workers. Thanks to their combined efforts, the man was able to wait in the shade until the women were near the entrance and get back in line with them. When they saw him walking toward the entrance, they both applauded and complimented each other for being considerate.
- The woman in line behind me joked that by standing in the sun, she was "getting (her) Vitamin D." "Perhaps an excessive amount of it," I replied. "As pale as I am, it never occurred to me to bring sunscreen today."
- From a distance, I thought that two of the signs promoting different candidates had been propped on lawn chairs. I looked closer and was surprised to see that two people were sitting there, holding up the signs. Admittedly, that strategy cut through the clutter of signs and focused voters' attention on the names Jill Schupp and Barbara Phifer. I hope the sign holders are paid for their efforts. It's tiring to hold one's arms up so long.
- Although I didn't see anyone in line eating or drinking, it was considerate of the polling place to provide chips, granola bars, and bottled water on picnic tables. There was also a woman walking around, asking if anyone wanted a Power Bar or bottled water she'd packed in a crate.
- The poll workers with whom I dealt were polite, and I had the privacy I desired while voting. Scanning my ballot and seeing confirmation that it counts never stops being satisfying.
- As I left the polling place, I saw a woman in line playing patty cake with her kids. Considering how many people were looking at their phones, it was nice to see three people opting for old school fun. For a moment, I thought I'd walked into a Bob Greene column in the best way.
A few minutes into my line-waiting, I joked with someone that "for a heavily introverted person, this is kind of a shock to the system." It wasn't really a shock, though. It's easy to be among your community when the community is cordial and respectful. (And socially distanced, as a woman in line pointed out. It was a relief to see everyone around me staying at a safe distance and wearing masks.) I know not everyone in this town agrees with me politically. Seeing bumper stickers promoting candidates I would never support in a million years confirms that. It's refreshing, then, that the only discordant note I heard the entire time was a car horn blasting from the street.
To anyone who hasn't voted yet today, may your experience at the polling place be as positive as mine was.
