© 2024 WYPR
WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore WYPF 88.1 FM Frederick WYPO 106.9 FM Ocean City
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
WYPO 106.9 Eastern Shore is off the air due to routine tower work being done daily from 8a-5p. We hope to restore full broadcast days by 12/15. All streams are operational

Virginia Poll Worker Describes Feelings Of Relief Among Voters

Published November 8, 2016 at 4:28 PM EST

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

Now we're going to hear about how things are going at one polling place in Virginia. Robin deJarnette has worked as a poll worker in Culpeper County, Va., for more than a decade. And today she is at her precinct post at St. Luke's Lutheran Church. Hi, there.

ROBIN DEJARNETTE: Hi.

MCEVERS: So tell us what your polling place is like right now.

DEJARNETTE: It's been off and on. We get a few lines. And then it gets better. Right now it's quiet. So we're going to enjoy it.

MCEVERS: How many presidential elections have you worked for?

DEJARNETTE: I started in 2000 with Bush-Gore. And I did miss one - I forget when. My husband was ill, and I didn't do it. So from 2000 to now - missing one.

MCEVERS: So why do you do this work? Like, why do you come out on Election Day and work at the polls?

DEJARNETTE: (Laughter) You never know what's going to go on. I just have enjoyed doing it.

MCEVERS: Yeah.

DEJARNETTE: We had one veteran walk in today. And he was 103 years old.

MCEVERS: Wow.

DEJARNETTE: Is that not awesome? And then we had 20-year-olds who voted for the first time. And then this other guy - he voted. He said he had to vote presidential. He's my age, 60 or more. And it's the first time he's voted. I'm like, awesome. But he felt like he had to vote (laughter).

MCEVERS: He felt like he had to vote this year.

DEJARNETTE: Yeah.

MCEVERS: How would you say the mood is? Like, are people, you know, fired up? Or are they sort of like, let's do this and...

DEJARNETTE: And get on with it. I think everybody's glad to get in here and finally vote. And it'll be over with. Tomorrow, we won't have to worry about it.

MCEVERS: Is there a sense of lag? Tomorrow, after it's all over, you know, maybe then we can start figuring out how to be nicer.

DEJARNETTE: Right. And people - and several people have told me after tomorrow - or after tonight - we can cut our TV on...

(LAUGHTER)

MCEVERS: We can turn the...

DEJARNETTE: ...'Cause I don't want to see the ads.

(LAUGHTER)

MCEVERS: They could turn their TVs back on.

DEJARNETTE: Right (laughter). Yeah. There's this sense of relief.

MCEVERS: How late are you going to be there tonight?

DEJARNETTE: We close the polls at 7. And it'll take us an hour to get all the tallying done and pack everything up.

MCEVERS: OK. Well, have a good time.

DEJARNETTE: We have been. It's been quite a day.

MCEVERS: That's Robin deJarnette. She's a poll worker in Culpeper County, Virginia. Thanks a lot.

DEJARNETTE: All right. Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.