Hey, there! Log in / Register
If there are any delays voting here on Tuesday, it won't be because of a shortage of poll workers
By adamg on Sun, 11/01/2020 - 12:34pm
The BU News Service reports state elections officials are feeling good about poll staffing Tuesday thanks to an influx of poll workers from among young people and new volunteers. Only Ashburnham, Lawrence and Lowell report having vacancies for poll workers.
Topics:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Ashburnham?
You mean where the redneck who admitted to the Globe that he is a moron, sorry, Militia member the other day?
Thanks but no thanks. The Trumpies were all out driving around today in the North Central and Western parts of the state. The swirlies were in the eyes.
They are going to crap their pants on Tuesday and one or two are going to act out, because you know, the Constitution / 3% / 'Murica stuff.
Have fun working that poll place.
Seems like a Sundown town if you listen to that guy.
"Those prepared to take up arms include former Oath Keeper Jeff Roy, a 53-year-old heavy equipment operator in Ashburnham who said he also has served in the American Sentinel Militia and New Hampshire State Militia. Roy is now lieutenant commander of the Patriot Mutual Assistance Program, which he described as a volunteer service organization whose duties range from responding to natural disasters to using force if necessary to defend communities.
“When someone says `militia' to me, I see a bunch of guys who are willing to come together when bad things happen, no matter what those bad things are,” Roy said.
He predicted leftists will try to steal the election and, if they fail, rise up violently. And should they threaten his group’s area in north-central Massachusetts, Roy said, “We are going to defend our neighbors and make sure they live in a free United States of America.”
There should be no question, he said, about their proficiency.
“Our group has spent a lot of money to make sure we are all legally and professionally trained to use our firearms,” he said.
As evidence of a potential threat, Roy cited the fatal shooting of a far-right Trump supporter in Portland, Ore., in August by a self-avowed adherent of antifa."
"Law enforcement authorities and watchdog groups, however, said right-wing extremists pose a greater threat of deadly violence."
Via the Boston Globe 10/29/2020
Especially on Election Night.
"Our group has spent a lot of money"
You know how much I've spent on firearms and training in my lifetime? $0.
I don't fear being attacked by someone with a firearm, I saved the money, and I live somewhere nicer. This poor guy.
Maybe you're not scared
But I heard some of those protesters have signs and sometimes yell really loud. If that isn't terrifying, I don't know what is.
/sarcasm
Staties Are Out In Force Today
9 in a row in the fast lane on the X Way about 745.
People were panic buying at the Star in Newton yesterday.
I'm going to work and watch Liverpool in the afternoon. Have dinner with my family and enjoy things. People are way. way too antsy.
Life goes on but I hope a lot of rednecks die of heart attacks tomorrow when they have to run 45 feet away from a fusillade of state police crowd control measures.
Militias are illegal in MA
Unless they are authorized by the Governor, militias are illegal.
This is interesting:
So, if any of these militias show up and parade while armed, or if they stockpile weapons, they can be arrested, fined, and jailed. Which sounds like a plan to me.
Ashburnham is a really tiny place. I once knew one of the other 6 people who live there.
They made a TV series about that part of Massachusetts.
"Lovecraft Country".
I applied in August, never heard back
Anecdotally (or worse really, on a Nextdoor thread), it sounds like the city accepted applications kind of randomly as people were saying they'd applied multiple times with no response and others said they were interviewed/hired within two weeks.
Fine by me to NOT to do it. I just don't love the idea of some of the older folks working all day in St Ns during the election.
At least you tried to work
At least you tried to work within the system instead of disrupting it @Parkwayne.
Fair weather workers?
Given the city Election Dept may have been concentrating on ballots, getting the poll worker applications answered may have been less staffed. Thankfully in Boston they may have had enough from the looks of things.
That said... where were these people the last 2 years when there were shortages and Boston had to start pulling people from other cities and towns?
It's fantastic that they received an influx but the proof in the proverbial pudding will be if they show up next year to work or were just looking to be engaged in a contested presidential election.
There is a risk that a segment of these good people that stepped up will not, leaving Boston back where they were a year ago.
BTW, I have acquaintances that do poll worker duty. It is a thankless job and they have to deal with a lot of things like people who never learned how to fill in that little circle. That's hard to swallow if they ever took an SAT exam or similat at some point in their lives, or maybe something closer to home like play the lottery. Same act... fill in that little space nice and dark. I'll bet they are careful doing that.
Then there's the arm-chair legislators that actually complain and scream at poll workers because they don't like the ballot, the candidates, the format for voting, laws on displaying an ID card, you name it. They take that verbal abuse as well And that is only the tip of the iceberg.
So this sudden influx is likely a passing fad. It takes commitment to hang in there.
I 'll be working the polls in
I 'll be working the polls in HP.