Sunday, November 12, 2000

Election judges aid voters

Patsy Sparkman started her day Tuesday at 4:30 a.m. As election judge presiding over Precinct 58 at Menger Elementary, her first order of business was to get to the polling place and swear in her election clerks.
   "We take an oath that we will not say or do anything that will sway a voter in any particular way," said Sparkman, who has been serving as an election judge for the past 10 years.
   Most voters never hear of that oath, never stop to consider all that goes on behind the scenes months before or during an election, or even after the polls close on election night. But with the turn of events in the presidential race, election judges and clerks and the duties they are sworn in to fulfill suddenly become interesting table conversation.
   Did you know, for instance, that voters who spoil their ballots, say, by voting for the wrong candidate or unintentionally over-voting (like voting for two candidates in a single race), have two additional chances to correct their ballot?
   'My government bible'
   That is the law, says Diana Barrera, chief deputy county clerk, who carries around her copy of the Texas election law handbook practically everywhere she goes.
   "I call it my government bible," she said.
   That bible states that each party chair is responsible for recommending election judges, who must meet certain guidelines, including being a registered voter and residing in the voting precinct to which he or she will be assigned. The majority of election judges have years of experience, Barrera said.
   The recommendations are made to county commissioners, who make the appointments in July. What most voters may not be aware of is that the political party that carried each precinct in the last gubernatorial election determines the party affiliation of that precinct's election judge for the next election.
   In 1998, Nueces County's 122 precincts had 71 Republican and 51 Democratic election judges. In 1994, the county had 76 Democratic and 46 Republican election judges.
   'Absolutely love doing this'
   And for those who might be curious about the financial compensation, election workers get $5.15 an hour for working the primaries; $6 an hour for general elections.
   But the money is hardly the incentive, said Barbara Cline, who has served as an election judge for Precinct 89 for 48 years.
   "I absolutely love doing this," Cline said. "I've been involved in my community in so many different ways, from neighborhood association, garden club, PTA, you name it."
   During Tuesday's election, Sparkman said she happened to glance over at the polling place door and was pleased to see an audience: A teacher brought her third-grade class to witness democracy at work. The children watched attentively from a distance as a voter fed his ballot into the ballot counting machine.
   "My message to everyone out there is, get involved," Cline said. "And the more informed you are, the more you tend to want to be more involved."