To the editor:
I like to think I’m well informed about voting. My years of experience as a poll worker have afforded me the opportunity to help the voters I interact with have a positive experience at the polls — including those with disabilities, those who need language assistance and those who simply want to cast their ballot in person.
I also have experience registering Marblehead High School students to vote, most recently on National Voter Registration Day in September, where I sat outside the cafeteria during lunchtime with a small group of volunteers trying to flag down students as they hurried past so we could talk with them about voting.
Since most students are automatically registered when they apply for a driver’s license, the task this year mainly involved helping those already registered to know where and when they could vote, and to make a solid plan to vote.
But at times, when it comes to making my own plan to vote, I have failed to look at a sample ballot ahead of time; and find myself in the voting booth not being at all familiar with “down ballot” races like
Clerk of Courts and Register of Deeds or what the ballot questions are.
When that happens, I either make a random choice or no choice at all, which feels like a wasted opportunity.
In this year’s general election, I’m determined to do better. Instead of just checking a box, I’ll be making thoughtful decisions. I’ll do that by studying the (red) “Information for Voters” booklet that every household in Massachusetts received by mail last week. It contains a voter checklist you can tear out and take with you to the polls. You can find links to see what a Marblehead ballot will look like, and read candidates’ answers to questions about where they stand on issues.
The Information for Voters booklet also includes the text of each of five binding statewide ballot questions and statements that describe the effect of a yes or no vote. And you can even take the booklet into the voting booth with you if you wish.
This year I’m pledging to fully participate by not only casting my ballot, but also by knowing the policies behind my choices and how they will shape the future direction of my town, my state and my country.
Nancy Powell
Marblehead
