Floyd County’s East Lindale Precinct, located at Hollywood Baptist Church, had some extra help on Election Day thanks to Darlington students Jack Kelly, Lucas Jennings and EmaLeigh O’Neal. All residents of Floyd County, the students assisted voters by operating the ExpressPoll machines.
“I thought it would be a good opportunity to see how things work at the polls since I will begin voting relatively soon,” said O’Neal, a junior. “We went to a seminar a few weeks ago at The Forum to learn the basics and when we got to the voting location we were told exactly how to operate the machines.”
The ExpressPoll contains the list of active voters for Floyd County, and barcode scanners were just added as an accessory for use during this election. Kelly, Jennings and O’Neal operated the ExpressPolls by scanning elector driver’s licenses and creating a ballot on a voting card.
“Lots of electors were surprised to see students working at the polls; however, every one of them was happy to see young people taking an interest in our country's politics,” said Jennings, a senior. “My favorite job was programming the voter card because I enjoyed using the ExpressPoll computer system. This experience helped to remind me of the importance that everyone has the right to vote. ”
Electors first completed a certificate verifying their name and address. Then, their photo identification was verified. After the photo check, the elector’s driver’s license was scanned by the ExpressPoll and matched to the existing information in the Secretary of State’s voter registration database. Within seconds, the ExpressPoll displayed the voter’s information on the screen and authorized the creation of a ballot for the elector. Electors using an acceptable form of identification other than a Georgia driver’s license were verified using the ExpressPoll by keying in the elector’s name.
“I found it interesting that people from all types of professions came together at one place to vote,” Jennings said. “I was also impressed that everyone waited patiently and took their right to vote seriously.”
The student volunteers were supervised by Darlington science teacher Mike Hudson, whose father, Jim, is precinct manager. Hudson and the students worked from 6:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.
“After working a 14-hour day, you understand the magnitude of voting in one precinct,” Hudson said. “This is the tenth year that I have volunteered at the precinct and the second year I have brought students with me.”
Kelly, a senior, said he was excited not only to volunteer at the precinct, but also to join the line of other electors and vote for the first time.
"Voting is a right every American citizen shares and that right should be valued," Kelly said. "It was nice to be a part of the process and see what it really takes to run a polling precinct. Everyone thought it was a great thing that young people were getting involved."
