Editorial: Thanks NC poll workers! You really are 'Democracy Heroes'

CBC Editorial: Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022; editorial #8805
The following is the opinion of Capitol Broadcasting Company

The dust from the 2022 elections hasn’t quite settled, there’s still the counting of mail-in and provisional ballots, post-election canvasses, audits and any recounts. There’s plenty to keep North Carolina and local elections staffs busy.

But the 2022 campaign shouldn’t close without a loud shout-out to the more than 20,000 volunteers and part-time hires – “Democracy Heroes” the State Board of Elections appropriately calls them. This year’s election, in particular, was an especially heroic effort given the derision and open animosity election officials and workers faced as they went about doing their jobs and preparing for the vote.

They take time out from their own personal routines, to make sure that casting a ballot for the state’s 7.4 million registered voters goes without a hitch and that every ballot is properly counted. It isn’t magic, it isn’t complicated, but requires focus and adherence to rules and routine.

There isn’t much glamour in making sure voting equipment is set up, there’s enough paper and pens on hand for printing and marking ballots, checking voters’ credentials, helping those who might have special needs and keeping the 2,650 Election Day polling places and 360 early voting sites safe and accessible for voters, observers and even those campaign advocates who dish out last-minute pitches as folks are about to cast their ballots.

It is – or was – a quiet and often unnoticed task. But in the last few years -- amid the bombastic, sometimes violence-threatening, election-denying rhetoric led by former President Donald Trump – it has become an increasing challenge as an aggressive few are determined to disrupt, deny and cast doubt on the election process.

For most of the 3.8 million people who voted – both during the early in-person voting period and on Election Day – ballots were cast without incident.

In one county a one-stop polling place worker was followed from the election site, to the elections office and then to their home – described by state Elections Director Karen Brinson Bell as “the most egregious situation we had” on Election Day. In Rutherford County, there was a report of a voter being told they must have a photo ID to enter a polling place – which is not required in North Carolina – and wrongly contending law enforcement officers were arresting people at a voting site.

The state received 21 reports of conduct violations at polling places involving campaign workers or election observers with a dozen concerning allegations of voter intimidation.

It says something of the unfortunate times we’re in when the spokesman says why he can’t compare the number of incidents this year to past years. “We have not tracked these incidents in the past as we have this year, primarily because there has never been such a focus on observer conduct, nor have we had many reported incidents in the past,” said Patrick Gannon, the state board’s public information director.

While there may have been complaints, the reality is that the most common behavior from those working the polls is exemplified in Person County where 105-year-old Earle Barnette received appropriate assistance to cast her ballot.

These 20,000 are real “Democracy Heroes.” Our election couldn’t be full or fair without them. We are grateful for their service.

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