Election day workers honoured to serve country
Published:Tuesday | September 1, 2020 | 12:28 AMJudana Murphy/Gleaner Writer
Between general and municipal polls over the years, fashion designer Judith Dennis has been an election day worker 10 times, describing her experiences as “fair”.
“Luckily for me, I haven’t seen any violence or problems. Smooth,” she told The Gleaner of her time helping to marshal the polls.
Minutes earlier, she had cast her vote at Tarrant Baptist Church as special services personnel and election day workers exercised their franchise yesterday.
Dennis said that she became an election day worker to give service to her country as she is a firm believer in the electoral process.
“I’ll always do it until I cannot work anymore. The longer, it’s the easier; and the older workers are more efficient,” the 57-year-old said.
She has always worked in St Andrew North Western, a constituency created in 1976 when the number of constituencies was increased from 53 to 60.
“About three elections ago, when both parties were friendly in that constituency, they shared things together. It was a moment to watch. I think that’s how the process should be,” she said of her most unforgettable experience.
She is urging those considering working in future elections to test the waters.
To prospective election day workers she said:
“Definitely go for it,” advised Dennis. “Everyone should participate when it comes to serving their country.”
Another voter, 50-year-old Ann Ellis-Clarke, also spoke with The Gleaner at the same polling station yesterday. Asked how many elections she has worked in, she responded: “I can’t count.”
“Before I started to do one-day police, I was a presiding officer, but because I do scrutineering, dem seh I can’t do that post anymore,” she recalled.
Ellis-Clarke said dealing with the diverse people who come to polling stations is her greatest challenge.
“Jamaican people are hard to deal with, but you just have to be professional when you’re working. Once I worked in Grants Pen, and at first, it started off rough, but after a while, it was alright,” she said.
Memorable moment
The high point of working on any election day is the moment the winners are announced.
“When my party win, me jump up and celebrate and mek pure noise! As long as my party win, it’s memorable,” said an animated Ellis-Clarke.
At St Mary the Virgin Anglican Church, another of the 169 locations set up for election day workers to exercise their franchise, The Gleaner caught up with 76-year-old Tensel Collins.
A former scrutineer in the 1960s, he decided eight years ago to apply on the basis that he needed to get more experience in the electoral process.
The elder said he is prepared for Thursday, when 1,913,410 registered electors will go to the polls for the 18th general election amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I don’t find anything wrong with it because I don’t associate with plenty people. I walk by myself on the road and stay [a safe] distance away,” Collins said of possible exposure to the virus. “I don’t think I will be able to catch that COVID-20 or 19 or how much.”
Meanwhile, Patricia Harrison told The Gleaner that she anticipates that it will be difficult to control the crowd.
She has been a one-day police since she was 18 years old and now 42 years old, she continues to do it out of love.
“Over the years, it has been good. I’ve never found a fault in it, but now, I don’t know what it’s gonna be like this time because of the COVID and thing, but I know it will be harder,” Harrison said.