that one side in "the bulwark." this is david in new york. good morning. caller: good morning. host: how long have you been a poll worker? caller: this is my first time. host: why is it your first time? why is 2024 your first time? caller: because i am horrified some situations poll workers around the country have been subjected to. and it will be over my dead body somebody is messing around with this process. new york has a very exacting process. we have, in each polling place,g machine that scans the ballots coming from the voter, and there is a backup machine, so the chances of machines not working properly are pretty low. there is an exacting procedure

at the beginning for unsealing the machines.. for democratic and republican respect -- republican inspectors to initial the voter so they are on the roles and eligible to vote. if they are not on the rolls, there is a process to look up the right address. all of the affidavit votes are separated from the voting machines and that is reviewed by the board of elections on a county-wide basis. i think new york law is very exacting. i would be very surprised if there are any irregularities or problems in the voting process. host: i pointed out before your call the column in the bulwark

about threats to election voters. caller: i don't think that is a problem. if there are threats there is an emergency number to call. if there are any concerns or threats, the police departments will respond and we will have order restored. host: david in dobbs fairy, new york. kimberly whaley's story, she points out merrick garland launched an election threat task force charged with engaging with state and local law enforcement to assess and address threats against election workers, led by the public integrity section of the division, the task force identified swatting of election workers as a particularly pernicious problem. intimidating election workers, swatting involves placing calls to 911 with a fake crime report. that solicits a response from an armed swat team. they have been targets of swatting attacks.

the story by can really whaley goes on from there. taking your phone calls in the first segment of the washington journal, just from election poll workers. we want to hear your story about why you serve. robert in clearwater, florida, next. how long have you been a poll worker? caller: 2018. host: why did you get started in 2018? caller: i had time to do it. i'm retired now. so, i signed up to do it. i will be working on monday. early voting begins. then, i will be working on election day as well in panella's county. host: what is your expectation for election day? how long the day will it be? would you think the atmosphere will be like? caller: so, for early voting,

which starts on monday, my schedule is working in the afternoon from 1:00 to 7:30 p.m.. election day is a 15-hour day for us. we will be expecting a pretty busy turnout. sorry for the dog barking. we are expecting a pretty busy day. i have been tracking how many people have cast early votes by mail. i think in pinellas county we are about 10% of the people registered to vote have already cast a ballot. host: it sounds like you will be spending a lot of time there. do you get paid for this? caller: yeah, we get paid. host: do you mind saying how much it is? caller: sure. it varies on the position.

i am the clerk, so i am running my precinct. for the day it is $325. for the early voting schedule it is by hour. each job has a different pay schedule. mine for that day is $15 per hour. host: robert, have you met some of the folks that will be working the polls with you and what sort of conversations are having with them? caller: yeah. so, i have been working with some of the same people the last couple of cycles. this is the third time this year that we are voting in panellas in florida. i have to speak with everybody that i'm working with. we go to class and we speak with each other at class.

so, yeah, we've been having conversations, but nothing political.. it is just getting ready to do the best job we can to get everyone into vote. host: probably to bury the lead with you calling from canalis county. hurricane impacts on polling, robert, and what that means for you? caller: from what i understand, there were some polling places that are in the beach area which got hit pretty hard. i think that they had to move some of those locations. where i am working, my location is fine. if i am correct, canalis county -- pinellas had 168 polling locations, so quite a few. i think that you asked before how many people work at a polling location. at mine we have 10 on that day. host: thank you for telling us about it.

good luck on the upcoming election day. san antonio, texas. how long have you been working at the polls? caller: i hadn't been working at the polls for very long and i'm not sure that i will work this year, but i did work one election. i was called for one another election previous to that, but it wasn't in enough time. it was the night before the election or a to 15 hour day, so i had to pass. host: what do you mean you were called? caller: the election manager -- i registered with an organization called vet the vote, because i wanted to make sure people who were getting older or felt intimidated because the election process had become so politicized, i wanted to make sure that there were enough volunteers. i was part of an organization called witt the vote -- vet the vote and i volunteered in that

manner. i got in touch with my local election officials. i didn't hear anything back from them at all. i thought that there were enough poll workers. until the night before when they called and said -- or i got a text message that said, can you work tomorrow? no, it's too late . i did work the next election which was an interim election. it wasn't a major election. . in area. host: why not do it again? caller: i would do it again if called you asked the other caller did you get paid? yes, you get paid as an -- as a poll worker. i would do it again, but i have confidence. if they needed me, i'm in the database and i would work again if my poll manager called, but

i satisfied my curiosity that things go well there, that they are organized, and there are enough people to do their civic duty. host: we had a guest on the program i think from the election assistance commission talking about the people who are the most confident in the election system in the united states is a subgroup that they looked at in polling data, in opinion dated -- i should say. poll workers. poll workers have some of the most confidence in this country about the integrity of elections. after doing this, does that surprise or not surprise you, max? caller: it does not surprise me. you see some of the checks and balances that go into the system as a poll worker.you see that the system is fair and organized. one of the previous callers mentioned that there is no way to change the computers. they are not connected to the

internet. that is correct. there are also checks and balances to the software logic. it doesn't get changed in between. there are audits after the fact so if you randomly select a machine and look at what the machine says the ballots should count out as and you hand count them, you can have confidence if you have done a random sampling that all of the machines are reporting accurately. i think the poll workers are and should be very confident and more people should work at the polls so that we can build confidence. maybe we should do it like jury duty people should be called up and work in the polls. host: there is a story in nebraska. election officials can draft people draft-style to work at the polls if there are not enough poll workers. there is a state law that they

can actually do that. it would be like jury duty. caller: yeah, that sounds not like jury duty in that someone personally is selecting you. i don't like dynasties. i don't like friends and family networks. i think something like a jury system where you are pulled at random from the voter rolls and you have to go in and serve would be more appropriate. something like that sounds fishy. if you read the books about lyndon johnson and the history of elections and election-rigging in texas, you can be skeptical about what happens on election day. but i would feel confident in a jury-like system that is run by officials. host: that is the system in nebraska as it is explained in the npr story. max from san antonio, texas, thank you for the phone call.

matthew in minnesota, good morning. caller: good morning. i have been an election judge here in the county since 2016. you know, just recently, the past couple of years, i have been more concerned about doing it. host: why is that? caller: the hostility from people has been more out of nowhere. there are things that i am concerned about, because minnesota just changed the rules for voters. like, if they are standing in front of you. they just did an id thing where everyone can id if they are not a u.s. citizen. host: you are concerned that

someone may vote that should not be voting? caller: that and also trump and his people are pushing if you get your ballot sent to you in the mail you should bring it in with you. when we look it up on the computer i would say it is an absentee ballot. they would say, i didn't vote because my ballot is here and try to cause more hostility at the polls.that is not necessary . host: when you say hostility at the polls, what do you mean? what is an experience that happened? caller: not this year, but the last presidential election i was working the polls. i had a gentleman who was trying to falsify his address. he was using a banking app that he was trying to apply for. it looked fishy. i tapped on the phone and he was

just typing stuff in. i called over the head judge and he said that is not going to work. he got mad and he started yelling. at that time, we had covid shields and he knocked that over. we had to call the police and have him escorted out. host: matthew, thank you for talking about your experience in minnesota. rules changes is the topics you brought up. on fk, i'm not a poll worker bppreciate everything they do. i mosttainly don't blame them for the stupid decisions their state made when pennsylvania did right before the 2020 election when they voted to wait to count absentee ballots until election day. looking for your comments on social media. we are talking to poll workers. about 15 minutes left in this first segment. 18 days away from election day.

why do you do it? how long have you done it? what are you expecting this year? how are you preparing? edward in jersey city. good morning. caller: good morning, c-span. host: why do you do it, edward? how long have you been doing it? caller: i was just thinking about it. good morning. you must have been just after the obama years. i think after his second term. it will be 2026 soon, so maybe 2016 was my first election. even before then, all things politics and government were important to me. i guess i got to be a poll worker late, but i'm still a poll worker and i'm excited about this election. i just received my sample ballot in the mail. i'm so excited. we have to be there at 5:15 in the morning to set up. the first vote is at 6:00. we are anticipating it being a madhouse.

where i live, it is mostly registered democrat. so, you know, we anticipate a huge turnout for kamala harris. i just hope to do a good job and serve the people and be there. i do think it was interesting what you talked about. like something like jury duty, the story about jury duty. host: nebraska? caller: i think that something like that would be interesting to get more people involved with the process, right? i think that voting is the first order of business. i will stop there. thank you. host: this is joe in california. good morning, joe. caller: good morning. good morning. yes, i agree with almost every one of the previous callers. it is hard work. you have to get up early in the morning and stay late.

then you have to go to training, you have to pick up the ballot boxes, it is a lot of work. the politics in my experience never enters into it. you don't talk about it. the challenge is the people who want to cast a ballot. everyone in california is entitled to cast a ballot regardless. anyway, that is how it goes in california. host: when you say that politics is forbodden? caller: you never say, did you hear they called this for trump and this for hillary? yeah. host: as a poll worker, when do you vote yourself? what is your philosophy on when you put your ballot into the system? caller: i do it by mail, ever

since california allowed it, because you don't have to stand in line and it's very efficient. california, they send an email when your ballot is mailed to you and when it is sent to you. host: do you think that the spread of vote by mail in recent years has been a good thing? do you think that it's better for people to show up on one day and have that civic day of going to the polls? doyou miss that when you vote by mail? caller: yes, yes, what they've done in california is instead of having your neighborhood polling place they have a regional, like at the mall, or something like that. they have it open for like 10 days. i'm not sure about that. seven days, five days, 10 days, prior to the election.

i think that it's better to have the precinct-based voting. it is more smaller and manageable. host: is there something to the civic experience of walking into a polling station? caller: yes, yes, especially when you deal with some of the poll workers. i started out as a regular poll worker and then i became an inspector. that is the head poll worker at that particular place. it is a lot of work. and then you have to drive the ballots in your car with the witness to the collection center. it's quite dramatic. host: what is it like at the end of the day having the ballots in your car, the witness in your car, the final stop of your part of the journey on election day? caller: after being up for 14 hours, it is an adrenaline rush. when it is finally over and you

go to the place come usually the courthouse, and they have all of these lights set up, you go in and it's very exciting. host: is the ballot box in your car in the trunk? are you buckling it in? caller: i have a ford f1 50 so it is in the back of their pickup truck in my instance. everyone uses their personal car and they give you three cents per mile from the polling place to the courthouse. host: thank you for telling us about it. brewster, new york, you are next. caller: hi. hi, good morning. i just wanted to add a few things. several of the callers from new york, i agree with everything they said. it gives great confidence in the system to work as a poll worker. in addition to that, can i say

you make wonderful people. people who volunteer for the polls, often very experienced or retired people -- behind them. host: who is the most interesting person you've met? caller: i don't want to reveal their names, but i met a movie producer, a local charity in the district, and people from different backgrounds. retired newspaper editor from the city. you get to meet other people. it's good to work with other people. you don't talk politics. but you have a respect for each other and for the work you do.

it is a very busy and long day, as others have said. at the end of the day we collect the stuff and materials from the working machines and deliver it to the center. i don't want to say where. host: what are your thoughts on poll worker security? this is local atlanta news first, cobb county poll workers getting panic buttons to bolster their security. a panic button that will go straight to the police. a new addition to their security at the poll stations this year. what are your thoughts on that? caller: my thoughts are that that is probably a good idea, especially in atlanta. in new york, in my area, i am assigned to a relatively peaceful area. i know, like, we have veterans

building. so, like, we are fairly secure. we know we can have the police there if there is any issue. also, the front line of meeting people. so, it is like we treat them courteously and they -- there is no reason for escalation. it has been all right. host: thank you for telling us about it. this is pat in winsted, connecticut. good morning. caller: good morning. my sister has been a poll worker for many years in new york and has recently put out a youtube video addressing new york election security and it

inspires confidence in the process. it is very informative. it addresses the bipartisan double checks, paper ballots, abntee ballots, voter id, the league of dead voters, how the ballots are transported, and it's informative. i was quite surprised. that is on youtube, it is new york election security. host: why were you surprised? caller: the double checks, the boxes, the locks, the transportation. everyone is watching everybody. it inspires confidence. host: have you ever been inspired to join your sister and work at the polls on election day? caller: now, but it is an informative video. i just thought that it would ease some fears in the process. i just found it informative. host: in connecticut, celia in

california, scotts valley. caller: i served as judge on an airbase outside of sacramento with three neighbors. the only glitch that we had was a colnol whose wife was on the list outside the door being registered and she had died that year. i took him aside and explained that no one had notified the registrar or her name had -- her name would not have been on the list. that was the only complaint. three neighbors had lived on the station outside of sacramento at the time. we also had to collect the ballots and take them down to the registrar's office at the capitol afterwards. we had to set everything up and do everything on our own.

then we had to take the ballots in. we were notified when we drove in if we had the radio on. we said no, we were talking about the election. one of the neighbors that had gone with me was a clerk, and he said, i wanted to let you know that robert kennedy had just been killed. that was the year of the election i served. it was a great privilege. we were all neighbors. easy identification because we all had military id cards. most of the people on the basis were registered in their home states so it was a small precinct. i don't know how it occurred, it never occurred again. anyway, thank you so much. i try to watch every day. host: stick around for a second. come back to 1968 to transporting the ballots after you find out that robert kennedy had been shot and killed and there is likely, i assume,

ballots you are transporting for a man who is dead, that you are transporting to be counted. can you tell me more about that moment? caller: no. it was part of the job. we had to set up the polls. we had to conduct everything. afterwards we had to make sure that all the ballots were taken care of. that the polling place was closed. we had to deliver the balance to the registrar's office in downtown sacramento, maybe 10 miles from the base that has long since been closed. it had nothing to do with robert kennedy's demise, but it was just that we were notified -- host: your feelings after being notified about that? what it must have been like to deliver ballots after finding out that one of the candidates had been assassinated? caller: yes, yes it was.

it was a complete shock. we had no radios or anything at the polling place, so we would have heard this on the way into town. no, i drove my own car. my husband was very supporting. one of the neighbors that was a clerk had gone with me to turn in the ballots. everything was quite official and well done. we had no trouble at all with anybody. everybody had military id cards and we knew most of the people voting there. it was a small precinct. it was horrible. i couldn't believe we could have another assassination in the same family. i was not necessarily a kennedy supporter, but it was horrible, just horrible to think that -- i don't know if he is still alive. i think he is still in prison, the person who shot robert

kennedy. yeah, it was a horrible feeling. to this day i don't know, it was a next-door neighbor that served as a clerk and went with me, to this day i don't know how she voted. you didn't do that in the military. i don't know how things are in the military now. my husband was in for 30-something years but he retired in 1974, so a lot has changed. we voted in oregon for many years, until we were moved to sacramento. we had to be there six months before we could register as california residents. that was the first time we had been in one place long enough to register out of our home state of oregon. host: thanks for talking about it. six years ago through today -- appreciate the phone call. caller: wonderful for washington

journal. i try to watch every morning even at this odd hour. host: thanks for being up early. time for one more phone call. indianapolis, indiana. caller: good morning. i have done and will do so hopefully this year again the early voting counting in marion county in indianapolis. are you there? host: yes, ma'am. caller: good. i turned off the tv. it's exciting. you are with the person of each party. so, i feel very confident. i've done it before and it was exciting. it was being part of the system. being part of the democracy that we have in this country that so many other countries don't have. to meet somebody from the opposite party was great.