On Monday, Iwrotea story forVogueabout becoming a poll worker in Pennsylvania.
I volunteered in hopes of avoiding the news cycle on election day.
The Arts Academy is located in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, a historic, predominately Black community.
photo: Drazen Zigic / Getty
I was excited to spend the day somewhere new.
When in doubt, ask your Judge of Elections.
He and his entire family had been working the polls for decades.
We set up quickly, and the doors opened at 7 a.m.
Unlike what many saw on TV, there were no long lines.
My polling place had 200 registered voters (75 actually voted by the end of the day).
The other precinct sharing the space had about 300.
As a first time poll worker, I was grateful to be working in a smaller precinct.
There are a lot of moving parts to being a poll worker.
There was also a lot of downtime.
Nearly every person that walked through that door to vote knew this family.
The very act of showing up to cast their vote, was a celebration of life and freedom.
So many people didnt know their polling placeand showed up at ours incorrectly.
One woman went to three different precincts before she arrived at the right one.
Some people werent even sure they were registered, while others were inactive and had no idea.
A highlight of the day: I was also able to help a 96-year-old vote electronically.
I helped watch three kids under three while their mother voted.
Everyone was very excited for thestickers.
If youre like me, youre asking yourself whats next.
For me, Im channeling some of my energy into helping those around me.
Its one small way I hope to continue to make a difference in this community.
As for my $150 stipend for my civic duty, thats going straight toPlanned Parenthood.
