Second, more poll workers & better training. Oddly, some of the problems at polling places occur precisely because poll workers have personal long-time commitment to this citizen work. Procedures and directives change from election to election and even, within the weeks or day of active voting. Open-mindedness and nimble thinking can be enhanced among poll workers if the pool of citizens willing to work becomes larger and more diverse in age, profession and class. This is how the vast number of young and old voting activists- the canvassers and telephone callers in campaign field sites- must help. Every election cycle some of these activists should chose to join the ranks of poll workers; not necessarily as a lifetime commitment. Every poll worker training session (and there should be more) will be improved by cooperative learning techniques that employ the sharing of knowledge between experienced and novice.
Three, increase the number of voting rights “poll watchers”. In a word, more ombudsmen within the polling places: ndividuals whose team-player actions gain the respect and camaraderie of the poll workers. Poll watchers can see specific situations with a sensitive and objective eye. (I could tell you stories!) Because these poll watchers have no direct responsibility for any single tedious and repetitious task, they can be very helpful to poll workers.

Simple but crucial social issues of crowd control, hospitality and childcare are too significant at most polling sites to leave to chance or a poll worker’s split attention. On a personal note, I am proud of the role I played at the busy 6 precinct polling place. Everyone I came in contact with recognized that I was essential to the voting process and, before the polls even opened at 6:30 am, I was appreciated by hard-working poll workers and voters. But I also know that my Republican counterpart was unappreciated and generally ignored (after initially being severely reprimanded) because of her “hoity-toity” adversarial and illegal actions!

Fourth, bi-partisan Boards of Elections must include third parties. The duo struggle of self-interest between Republican and Democratic Supervisors is masked in collegial tit for tat. The patronage political appointments often favor unqualified loyalty rather than intelligent open-minded small “d” problem-solving knowledge and skills (especially regarding ballot design.) Independent, Green, and Libertarians often have “no dog in the fight” and may bring fresh insight into the behind the scenes decision-making. The 2004 Recount was a perfect example, without the Green party and Libertarians, only Republicans would have seen the “bending of the rules” that was Corruption.

In my dream world, I would like BOE’s and e-voting control and counting to be non-partisan and a national ballot for national offices.

ha ha ha ha ha

Bob in HI

So I guess you and I are going to agree to disagree on this issue.

Why is it a bad thing to have some level of balance equalizing the small states with the large ones?

It violates the principle of one man one vote. Personally, I think this principle is more important than a vague political balancing act of dubious effectiveness.