We want to stay connected to the people who are vital to elections. They’re on the front lines.”

Registrar of Voters Jacqueline Schulz

PORTSMOUTH — They’re the folks who greet you at Town Hall, the CFP Arts, Wellness & Community Center, the high school or elsewhere on Election Day. 

They check you in, make sure the voting machines are working properly, and answer any nagging questions you may have. If it’s your first time voting, they make the situation as comfortable and easy for you as possible.

And if you’re having a bad day or are frustrated with the whole election process, they serve as punching bags, too. 

They’re poll workers, and it’s a thankless task. That’s why, at least in Portsmouth, they’re regularly reminded about how important they are in maintaining free and secure elections. Last week they were feted during a luncheon at the Glen Manor House, an event at which local and state election officials thanked them for their vital service.

“Our Board of Canvassers tries to do this at least every year,” Registrar of Voters Jacqueline Schulz said. “We want to stay connected to the people who are vital to elections. They’re on the front lines. They’re the neighbors who give you your ballot when you go into an election. They take the time to be trained. They are dedicated, and without them elections don’t happen. I don’t know if everyone feels appreciated. Sometimes they’re subjected to things that are not pleasant. We want them to make sure that we understand.”

Local election official Bente Rainer, who came to American a year and a half ago, says it saddens her that so many eligible voters don’t go to the polls.

Jim McGaw

Schulz said she invited about 90 people to last Friday’s night. That’s how many worked the polls in 2024, including early voting, the primary and general election.

Nancy Zitka, who chairs the Portsmouth Canvassing Authority, thanked all election workers, saying their professionalism in working in bipartisan teams is more important than ever. She and Schulz welcomed several state election officials from the capital city, who gave overviews of what they were working on. 

Two were from the R.I. Department of State: Nick Edwards, elections information coordinator for the Elections Division; and Eileen Sweeney, director of community outreach and engagement. Also speaking were two members of the R.I. Board of Elections: Johanna Petrarca, director of elections; and Mike Forrester, senior planning and program development specialist.

‘Not sleeping’

“They’re not sleeping during this non-election year,” said Schulz, echoing the event’s theme: “Democracy doesn’t take naps!”

Edwards said his team has proposed several pieces of legislation in the General Assembly, including one aimed at increasing voter turnout.

Registrar of Voters Jacqueline Schulz thanks poll workers for their dedication.

Jim McGaw

“We’re introduced a package of bills, including the constitutional change for same-day voter registration, which is something we certainly support,” he said.

Common Cause led the coalition effort for the change to the state constitution because Rhode Island has the earliest voter registration deadline of any state — 30 days. That deadline would be removed should the legislation pass.

Edwards said during that 30-day timeframe, a voter could have been taken off the rolls — if they moved, for example — and wouldn’t be allowed to cast a ballot. “This allow them to register and vote that day,” he said. 

Sweeney said her department has seen “significant mistrust in how elections are held,” dating back to the Reagan administration. “People really question how we do what we do.”

When you’re an election official, it important to be as transparent as possible, she said. “What’s really important to us is nonpartisan engagement. We want to have civic engagement, across the board.”

Rhode Island is roughly following the national trend where the numbers of poll workers are declining. “I happen to believe our right to vote is precious. We need re-engaging with our communities to bolster voting,” Sweeney said.

Recruiting poll workers, however, doesn’t seem to be a problem in Portsmouth, said Petrarca. Still, it’s important to get feedback from local election officials and poll workers, she said. “Tell us what you want, we will look at it, and hopefully implement that,” she said.

‘I’m valued here’

After the updates from state officials, many election workers reflected on what their jobs meant to them.

Denise Betz, a poll worker, said she appreciates how Portsmouth election officials make her feel about her job. “I worked at the post office for 32 years,” Betz said. “I was not valued at the post office. I’m valued here.”

Zitka, who’s been on the canvassing board for more than six years, said one of her favorite things to do is visit Prudence Island. “I really feel like we established a better rapport with those people who are far away from us,” she said.

Bente Rainer, who’s lived in American for only a short period, said she takes pride in working the polls but is added by the fact that so few eligible voters choose to engage in the democratic process.

Another woman, who became a poll worker last year for the first time, said she was struck by the “intense emotions” of voters during the last election. “They really showed how engaged in the process they were,” she said, suggesting state election officials use that to build up a source of state pride in attracting more voters to the polls.

Two other poll workers said they always try to make first-time voters feel comfortable and supported — even applauding when they arrive. Perhaps first-time voters should be rewarded with a free ice cream cone at Newport Creamery, or a coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts or Cumberland Farms, one of them suggested.

One man said “the first time I voted in an election was 1972, when I was in second grade.” Mock elections are a great way to get more youth interested in voting, he said.

Edwards agreed, noting that state election officials host many mock elections. “We bring the actual ballots and voting machine right to the schools,” he said. 

Sweeney, meanwhile, talked about the R.I. Department of Education enacting new civic education standards which will be implemented in every district starting next year. Then there’s the R.I. Civic Leadership Program, where election officials meet with students on a weekly basis.“ We discuss, from soup to nuts, how to be civicl engaged in your community. We’re encouraging them to be involved on Election Day,” she said.