Students oversee polls on election day

by Victoria Do

On November 2, thirty-three MHS students received the opportunity to observe firsthand the voting process by becoming student election officers at local precincts. Each precinct was manned by four adult and student election clerks who set up the polling place and instructed voters on how to mark their ballots correctly.

“It gives students first-hand experience of how democracy works. Democracy is messy. It’s good for students to deal with some of the problems that come up,” U.S. Government Teacher Carol Weiss said. Weiss is in charge of the application forms for the Student Election Officer Program for MHS.

Despite the slow trickle of voters at some precincts, there were minor problems that students helped to sort out. Some people were confused by the ballots, according to Senior Iman Malik. Voters had to connect an arrow pointing to the candidate of their choice using a single thin line, a change from last year’s ballots. The adult clerks appeared to be inexperienced, she said, and they had problems with the voting machines.

“A lot of people had to vote provisionally because their precinct changed, and they didn’t want to go to the right one,” Senior Yasin Hosseinpur said. People who are not on the polling place’s roster must fill out a provisional ballot, which are counted a week or more after the election takes place.

Election clerks receive a county-funded $125 stipend for a full day, or $77.50 for a half day, with an additional $5 if the clerk is bilingual. Alternatively, they are given the option to donate their stipend to charity, and students may opt to receive community service hours instead. Students do not have a separate budget, and are paid the same stipend as adults. Students are expected to receive their stipend or community service letter by December 1 this year, according to Student Election Officer Program Coordinator Lance Nottle.

“It was my first paid work experience,” Senior Kristen Elizarde said. Elizarde was assigned to Precinct 4416 at Joseph Weller Elementary School. She added, “It made me feel like everyone’s important, and they should vote when they turn eighteen.”

Students are accepted into the program on a first-come, first-serve basis. This year, over 530 Student Election Officers were placed in polling sites across the county, according to Nottle. The number of students accepted is determined by projected voter interest, number of mail-in ballots, budget constraints, and the total number of polling sites. In the June 2010 Primary Election, 300 students were placed, while in the November 2008 Presidential Election, 1800 students were placed.

Senior Arielle Calara said that she found other benefits of the program that would help her in future jobs. “I learned good customer service and how to speak to people comfortably.”