How to restructure the polls...
October 26, 2022 10:15 AM Subscribe
So, I've worked retail / customer service for 35+ years (mostly as manager or owner of stores). I have a well-honed skill of spotting inefficiencies. This week, I worked in the polls during the recent elections in Toronto. It was my first time doing it. To describe the workplace as a shitshow of incompetence would be complimentary. I am certain I could streamline the system and make things better for workers and voters. Is such a thing a job and if so, what is that job and how do I get it?
I was hired to be one of the people who confirms your identity, ensures you're eligible to vote and are in the right place to do so, and provides you with a ballot.
Polls open at 10am. We arrived at 8am to "set up". From the moment I arrived on site it was clear that this was going be a disaster. Within minutes I had to take control of things and start delegating, while the person whose job that was ran around like a headless chicken. Of the 12 people hired to work the station, only one other was not only competent but capable of understanding even basic instruction — and many did not improve at their mostly single-task jobs over the course of 10 hours.
In addition, in the first 20 minutes after polls opened, I'd figured out a more efficient way of doing my job than the method provided by government training. So much so that my table never had more than one person lined up at it for the remaining nine and a half hours whereas the others performing the same job regularly had slow lines 5 or more deep even though my table was responsible for 3/5ths of the voter list due to a staff no-show (I volunteered to take their portion of the overall list).
I know that multiple voters left the poll without having their votes counted and that multiple people had the potential to double-vote due to things I would call systems/supply misfunction. We were also forced to break the law regarding disability access due to no fault of our own and there were numerous other infractions and inconveniences that could have been avoided had someone smarter been in charge of preparing staff and location prior to election day.
None of the above should be the case.
I've fixed many an inefficient workplace, but they've always been single-location stores / offices that, had they failed before I arrived, would have just meant a small business tanked. This situation seems much more dire. I was frankly dumbfounded at the sheer stupidity of it. I assume someone was paid to set it up the way it now functions. How can I go about getting hired to fix such a thing?
I was hired to be one of the people who confirms your identity, ensures you're eligible to vote and are in the right place to do so, and provides you with a ballot.
Polls open at 10am. We arrived at 8am to "set up". From the moment I arrived on site it was clear that this was going be a disaster. Within minutes I had to take control of things and start delegating, while the person whose job that was ran around like a headless chicken. Of the 12 people hired to work the station, only one other was not only competent but capable of understanding even basic instruction — and many did not improve at their mostly single-task jobs over the course of 10 hours.
In addition, in the first 20 minutes after polls opened, I'd figured out a more efficient way of doing my job than the method provided by government training. So much so that my table never had more than one person lined up at it for the remaining nine and a half hours whereas the others performing the same job regularly had slow lines 5 or more deep even though my table was responsible for 3/5ths of the voter list due to a staff no-show (I volunteered to take their portion of the overall list).
I know that multiple voters left the poll without having their votes counted and that multiple people had the potential to double-vote due to things I would call systems/supply misfunction. We were also forced to break the law regarding disability access due to no fault of our own and there were numerous other infractions and inconveniences that could have been avoided had someone smarter been in charge of preparing staff and location prior to election day.
None of the above should be the case.
I've fixed many an inefficient workplace, but they've always been single-location stores / offices that, had they failed before I arrived, would have just meant a small business tanked. This situation seems much more dire. I was frankly dumbfounded at the sheer stupidity of it. I assume someone was paid to set it up the way it now functions. How can I go about getting hired to fix such a thing?
Imagine if all the other volunteers were people who had the education and focus that you do, or who had a tiny bit of that. Then start:
a) figuring out how to disseminate the information you have that they don't;
b) showing people that positive change is actually possible (because you will have to address a default reaction of "that's impossible because almost everyone is stupid and the system is impossible to change" -- this is not true, but the belief creeps in over time); and
c) recruiting other people in your area who are willing to help make this change happen, either by supporting the people and politicians who also believe in it, or by volunteering with you next time and improving and studying the problem with you.
posted by amtho at 11:24 AM on October 26, 2022
a) figuring out how to disseminate the information you have that they don't;
b) showing people that positive change is actually possible (because you will have to address a default reaction of "that's impossible because almost everyone is stupid and the system is impossible to change" -- this is not true, but the belief creeps in over time); and
c) recruiting other people in your area who are willing to help make this change happen, either by supporting the people and politicians who also believe in it, or by volunteering with you next time and improving and studying the problem with you.
posted by amtho at 11:24 AM on October 26, 2022
In Ontario, municipal elections are managed by the clerk, which is a provincially-legislated function of municipal government. In Toronto, a department of the City Clerk's Office manages elections (essentially, they are the municipal equivalent of Elections Ontario or Elections Canada).
Is such a thing a job and if so, what is that job and how do I get it?
Everyone whose job it is to manage any aspect of the municipal election works out of the clerk's office in those functions.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:39 AM on October 26, 2022 [8 favorites]
Is such a thing a job and if so, what is that job and how do I get it?
Everyone whose job it is to manage any aspect of the municipal election works out of the clerk's office in those functions.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:39 AM on October 26, 2022 [8 favorites]
Possibly what you want to do is become a Returning Officer.
Keep in mind that many of the inefficiencies of the system have to do with the people that get hired - Returning Officers are usually drawn from a small pool of people with political connections. I notice that they are often people who have run for or been municipal politicians. They don't tend to hire professionals organizers for such an occasional job that recurs only briefly at unpredictable intervals, they hire people they know, who are already involved in the community to do the running and managing. At the management level the pay is reasonable, but the jobs are strongly desired because of the little bit of power and connection you get from being in that circle.
You may also have noticed that a lot of the poll workers were seniors - people who do not have other jobs that pay better and would prevent them from taking on a job that ends up being close to minimum wage for only two days of work, or a small handful of days at most. They are almost always regulars and who know other people who do the work and will alert them when there is hiring. But they are also people who may have health or logistic problems getting there and the voting day is usually a very long one. People cancel because they realise they can't make it through the day, or, for example, they can't get the second home care worker to stay with their husband so they can work the full shift.
Also keep in mind that Elections Ontario is not going to go out of business if they are inefficient. People will complain but the penalty for providing bad service is not that your competition will get the customers. If people don't vote because of long lines it doesn't affect your bottom line; it means that you can work at a slower pace. So there are perverse incentives for inefficiency that you will want to understand before trying to change things.
If you want to actually change the system, I'd suggest trying for a Returning Officer job so you have that additional experience first. A political science degree would also help. Make some contacts in the appropriate civil service and then you can apply for a job with Elections Canada or Elections Ontario or the Toronto City Clerk's Office.
posted by Jane the Brown at 11:49 AM on October 26, 2022 [6 favorites]
Keep in mind that many of the inefficiencies of the system have to do with the people that get hired - Returning Officers are usually drawn from a small pool of people with political connections. I notice that they are often people who have run for or been municipal politicians. They don't tend to hire professionals organizers for such an occasional job that recurs only briefly at unpredictable intervals, they hire people they know, who are already involved in the community to do the running and managing. At the management level the pay is reasonable, but the jobs are strongly desired because of the little bit of power and connection you get from being in that circle.
You may also have noticed that a lot of the poll workers were seniors - people who do not have other jobs that pay better and would prevent them from taking on a job that ends up being close to minimum wage for only two days of work, or a small handful of days at most. They are almost always regulars and who know other people who do the work and will alert them when there is hiring. But they are also people who may have health or logistic problems getting there and the voting day is usually a very long one. People cancel because they realise they can't make it through the day, or, for example, they can't get the second home care worker to stay with their husband so they can work the full shift.
Also keep in mind that Elections Ontario is not going to go out of business if they are inefficient. People will complain but the penalty for providing bad service is not that your competition will get the customers. If people don't vote because of long lines it doesn't affect your bottom line; it means that you can work at a slower pace. So there are perverse incentives for inefficiency that you will want to understand before trying to change things.
If you want to actually change the system, I'd suggest trying for a Returning Officer job so you have that additional experience first. A political science degree would also help. Make some contacts in the appropriate civil service and then you can apply for a job with Elections Canada or Elections Ontario or the Toronto City Clerk's Office.
posted by Jane the Brown at 11:49 AM on October 26, 2022 [6 favorites]
Some thoughts:
I'd reach out to non profit advocacy groups and journalists: disability rights groups, voter rights orgs, and journalists that might care based on past articles.
I'd also write down everything you observed in detail while you remember most of the details. If you have specific policy changes that can be easily explained and simply implemented, write those down... low hanging fruit might not get you everything you want, but are useful to improve things sooner.
You might also get on Reddit for the local Toronto subreddit, and ask other poll workers and voters about their experiences. If you can find a voter who came to the polls and left without having voted because it was a shit show, and encourage them to get in touch with their representatives and the City Clerk's Office.
You can write a letter to your local paper's editor about the situation.
You might also reach out to your local university political science department, and ask if they know who might be studying these things.
You may also have a representative or representatives that might care, reaching out to them might be helpful.
Be prepared for a slog. That's why advocacy organizations are really great, because you are working with other people who understand what you are trying to do and can carry the torch onward.
Or at least that's my thoughts, from having seen a few changes make their way, or fail to make their way, through governmental organizations and NGOs, others might have more specific expertise.
posted by Chrysopoeia at 11:59 AM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
I'd reach out to non profit advocacy groups and journalists: disability rights groups, voter rights orgs, and journalists that might care based on past articles.
I'd also write down everything you observed in detail while you remember most of the details. If you have specific policy changes that can be easily explained and simply implemented, write those down... low hanging fruit might not get you everything you want, but are useful to improve things sooner.
You might also get on Reddit for the local Toronto subreddit, and ask other poll workers and voters about their experiences. If you can find a voter who came to the polls and left without having voted because it was a shit show, and encourage them to get in touch with their representatives and the City Clerk's Office.
You can write a letter to your local paper's editor about the situation.
You might also reach out to your local university political science department, and ask if they know who might be studying these things.
You may also have a representative or representatives that might care, reaching out to them might be helpful.
Be prepared for a slog. That's why advocacy organizations are really great, because you are working with other people who understand what you are trying to do and can carry the torch onward.
Or at least that's my thoughts, from having seen a few changes make their way, or fail to make their way, through governmental organizations and NGOs, others might have more specific expertise.
posted by Chrysopoeia at 11:59 AM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
I was frankly dumbfounded at the sheer stupidity of it.
It is worth being aware of one basic challenge here: the ramp up/ramp down cycle and lack of a practical institutional memory. The vast majority of workers work for short periods of time, alongside other workers with similarly limited experience. Almost anything like this ends up being massively inefficient; I've encountered it a lot on big "volunteer days," for example.
In a modern environment, this also means setups like this discourage people who like efficiency, so you're spinning up sites with sub-optimal personnel and disbanding them before they improve.
It's an interesting challenge to try and tackle. Change is possible: there are organizations which are good at this. But it's very different than tackling inefficiency in a going concern.
posted by mark k at 12:10 PM on October 26, 2022 [8 favorites]
It is worth being aware of one basic challenge here: the ramp up/ramp down cycle and lack of a practical institutional memory. The vast majority of workers work for short periods of time, alongside other workers with similarly limited experience. Almost anything like this ends up being massively inefficient; I've encountered it a lot on big "volunteer days," for example.
In a modern environment, this also means setups like this discourage people who like efficiency, so you're spinning up sites with sub-optimal personnel and disbanding them before they improve.
It's an interesting challenge to try and tackle. Change is possible: there are organizations which are good at this. But it's very different than tackling inefficiency in a going concern.
posted by mark k at 12:10 PM on October 26, 2022 [8 favorites]
Perhaps this comment is coming from an unneeded US perspective so disregard if you feel it is inapplicable.
Be very careful with "streamlining" the process of voting/registering/etc. These may be highly regulated procedures that are purposefully obtuse for reasons good and bad. If you miss steps in required procedures you may spoil ballots, prevent peoples votes from counting or get people kicked off voter rolls. In some places (in the US) even innocent mistakes can be prosecuted as felonies.
Make sure your changes get approved by the applicable authorities. This isn't a place where you can just use your "common sense".
posted by jclarkin at 12:43 PM on October 26, 2022 [19 favorites]
Be very careful with "streamlining" the process of voting/registering/etc. These may be highly regulated procedures that are purposefully obtuse for reasons good and bad. If you miss steps in required procedures you may spoil ballots, prevent peoples votes from counting or get people kicked off voter rolls. In some places (in the US) even innocent mistakes can be prosecuted as felonies.
Make sure your changes get approved by the applicable authorities. This isn't a place where you can just use your "common sense".
posted by jclarkin at 12:43 PM on October 26, 2022 [19 favorites]
If you witnessed things that hindered voting or enabled double voting, or you suspect you did, it's probably your legal duty to report that, aside any other considerations.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 12:57 PM on October 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 12:57 PM on October 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
As others have noted, the main issue is most likely the lack of experience by the other workers. For something that only happens once every blue moon, it is often like re-inventing of the wheel each time as folks figure out exactly what it is that they are doing. The capabilities of the volunteers can also vary widely. Some know how to use a computer blindfolded while doing 3 other tasks. Others still are looking for the 'any' key. Some are very fast learners, others, well. We thank them for volunteering.
Also, a 2nd vote on jclarkin's comment on on not streaming any process without explicit instruction. The process is often that way for a very good reason and is there to make sure that various laws are met and that any edge cases are taken care of. Go and make suggestions for better ways to do it to the folks at the clerks office, but I'd be hesitant to make any spur of the moment changes on my own.
So I leave you with the cautionary tale for process streamlining from this past summer. I am responsible for registration and timing for a few local running races. I provide a very particular "Do A, then B, then C _before_ handing the bib to the runner" checklist for the volunteers who handle bib pickup. Somebody decided to only do 'A' because there were a few folks in line the morning of the race and they had yet to see a case where B or C mattered. The bib had the right name on the front (Check 'A'), so they handed it over. I got the email the next day from the runner asking why their results were not listed. I got another mail from another runner saying that he was not able to make it but he is in the results. They were both named "Joe." After a quick bit of back and forth with the runner, he looked at the full name on the back of the bib. It was not his, it was the other guys name. Guess what steps B and C were? :-)
posted by SegFaultCoreDump at 1:04 PM on October 26, 2022
Also, a 2nd vote on jclarkin's comment on on not streaming any process without explicit instruction. The process is often that way for a very good reason and is there to make sure that various laws are met and that any edge cases are taken care of. Go and make suggestions for better ways to do it to the folks at the clerks office, but I'd be hesitant to make any spur of the moment changes on my own.
So I leave you with the cautionary tale for process streamlining from this past summer. I am responsible for registration and timing for a few local running races. I provide a very particular "Do A, then B, then C _before_ handing the bib to the runner" checklist for the volunteers who handle bib pickup. Somebody decided to only do 'A' because there were a few folks in line the morning of the race and they had yet to see a case where B or C mattered. The bib had the right name on the front (Check 'A'), so they handed it over. I got the email the next day from the runner asking why their results were not listed. I got another mail from another runner saying that he was not able to make it but he is in the results. They were both named "Joe." After a quick bit of back and forth with the runner, he looked at the full name on the back of the bib. It was not his, it was the other guys name. Guess what steps B and C were? :-)
posted by SegFaultCoreDump at 1:04 PM on October 26, 2022
Response by poster: I thank everyone for their answers so far.
We thank them for volunteering.
To be clear, these people were not volunteering, but being paid $200 to $300+ for a day's work.
To those advising to "be careful" about altering things, I'll just clarify that I was not skipping any steps, just approaching them more efficiently. For instance, at each table is two workers, one responsible for processing Surnames A - F and the other G - L.
You have two lines at each table, each corresponding to the correct letter in their surname. Depending on the ability of the worker and the intricacies of the lists / ID, the lines move at different rates. Sometimes one worker has a significant line and the other person at the same table has no line and nothing to do (because no one is there at the time with a surname that matches their duties).
Processing involves:
1. Verifying ID / address, comparing it to voter roll, marking voter roll as voter has voted
2. Providing voter with ballot and explaining how it works and where to take it and how to get their vote processed
For the sake of example, lets say each step takes 90 seconds.
For step 1, the voter just stands there silently for a minute and a half waiting for the worker to complete it before they can be instructed on part 2. That time is probably spent worrying that they're not going to be on the list and there's going to be a problem. Assuming no issues, they've spent 3 minutes at the table by the time they're given their ballot.
The system I switched to after doing and analyzing the above for 20 minutes managed to cut the time the voter spent at the table in half, made none of that time idle, left out no steps, had both workers working the entire time, and had any lines moving at a consistent rate, while not allowing any time at the table for the voter to stress about whether they were or were not on the roll.
And there were dozens and dozens of similar fixes available like this — from setup time to closing time — to allow everything to function better.
posted by dobbs at 2:32 PM on October 26, 2022
We thank them for volunteering.
To be clear, these people were not volunteering, but being paid $200 to $300+ for a day's work.
To those advising to "be careful" about altering things, I'll just clarify that I was not skipping any steps, just approaching them more efficiently. For instance, at each table is two workers, one responsible for processing Surnames A - F and the other G - L.
You have two lines at each table, each corresponding to the correct letter in their surname. Depending on the ability of the worker and the intricacies of the lists / ID, the lines move at different rates. Sometimes one worker has a significant line and the other person at the same table has no line and nothing to do (because no one is there at the time with a surname that matches their duties).
Processing involves:
1. Verifying ID / address, comparing it to voter roll, marking voter roll as voter has voted
2. Providing voter with ballot and explaining how it works and where to take it and how to get their vote processed
For the sake of example, lets say each step takes 90 seconds.
For step 1, the voter just stands there silently for a minute and a half waiting for the worker to complete it before they can be instructed on part 2. That time is probably spent worrying that they're not going to be on the list and there's going to be a problem. Assuming no issues, they've spent 3 minutes at the table by the time they're given their ballot.
The system I switched to after doing and analyzing the above for 20 minutes managed to cut the time the voter spent at the table in half, made none of that time idle, left out no steps, had both workers working the entire time, and had any lines moving at a consistent rate, while not allowing any time at the table for the voter to stress about whether they were or were not on the roll.
And there were dozens and dozens of similar fixes available like this — from setup time to closing time — to allow everything to function better.
posted by dobbs at 2:32 PM on October 26, 2022
I'd go into this project assuming that there are reasons that things are run the way they are, and you're curious to find out what they are. I would not come storming into the clerk's office with grand ambitions to overhaul the system after working for one day. You may have excellent ideas, they may be impractical for any number of reasons. Show up asking questions, not telling them your plan.
posted by momus_window at 2:34 PM on October 26, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by momus_window at 2:34 PM on October 26, 2022 [6 favorites]
So, it looks like this is all determined on a municipal level, so you'll want to reach out to your councillor or directly to the department with the info on the right here. I figure those are the easiest access points to the process, unless you get an exit survey as a poll worker. That might be a time to ask for a meeting with someone higher up.
You might also try putting together an article/press release that you could submit to things like NarCity, Toronto's equivalent of Insauga, CP24, etc - basically, smaller local news outlets that aren't too picky about what they publish. That might be easier sell if you can get together in some sort of formal organization with others. Depends on how much you work you want to do to advocate for this.
posted by sagc at 3:20 PM on October 26, 2022
You might also try putting together an article/press release that you could submit to things like NarCity, Toronto's equivalent of Insauga, CP24, etc - basically, smaller local news outlets that aren't too picky about what they publish. That might be easier sell if you can get together in some sort of formal organization with others. Depends on how much you work you want to do to advocate for this.
posted by sagc at 3:20 PM on October 26, 2022
I'm sorry this is not answering your question either, but maybe some of the procedures exist the way they do, because even if they are inefficient as compared to skilled people implementing a more efficient process, they cannot guarantee any particular skill level among elections staff. So, a facially more inefficient but easier process is, on balance, better for the overall set-up.
Also, I've almost never had to wait significant time to vote in any Canadian election. They tend to hire enough people and set up enough stations to avoid the issue. So, more efficiency might not be a worthwhile investment in order to accomplish what they need.
They probably also do things a specific way for compliance reasons and because they are proven means to secure elections.
Plus, elections occur infrequently as compared to other repetitive processes.
Keeping all of that in mind, maybe there's a better target for your systems-minded thinking and process improvements that will result in more net good. Making process improvements in any government organization is notoriously difficult compared to a private sector or non-profit gig.
posted by lookoutbelow at 9:45 PM on October 26, 2022
Also, I've almost never had to wait significant time to vote in any Canadian election. They tend to hire enough people and set up enough stations to avoid the issue. So, more efficiency might not be a worthwhile investment in order to accomplish what they need.
They probably also do things a specific way for compliance reasons and because they are proven means to secure elections.
Plus, elections occur infrequently as compared to other repetitive processes.
Keeping all of that in mind, maybe there's a better target for your systems-minded thinking and process improvements that will result in more net good. Making process improvements in any government organization is notoriously difficult compared to a private sector or non-profit gig.
posted by lookoutbelow at 9:45 PM on October 26, 2022
Oh I feel this question in the bottom of my soul.
I've been working the polls locally in the US for a few election cycles now. You can go through my old comments to see me griping about it. I truly think that one of the largest unspoken parts of voter disenfranchisement is on election day at the polls due to poll workers who are not intending to disenfranchise anyone. Our poll workers are also paid, but it's also a volunteer basis (echoing comments made by mark k and Jane the Brown about who tends to work the polls).
Did you go to a training class, or was there any sort of training that you received ahead of working the polls? At least in our county, the person who is the head of that department has a lot to do with how the voting procedures are performed. Also in our county, that person was obviously politically biased about letting people actually vote and would teach the volunteers that "every voter could be trying to be a fraud". He thankfully retired.
I'm curious if you noticed any issues due to the more "customer service-y" side of poll work. One of the reasons I started volunteering (yes paid, but about minimum wage for like 15 hours in one day) was because I had such an unpleasant encounter with a poll worker who was incorrect about the law and very snotty. The first person the voter contacts now has to always be someone who has worked customer service before in the last few elections due to how heated and charged certain voters are about having to wear a mask to vote.
posted by lizjohn at 9:48 AM on October 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
I've been working the polls locally in the US for a few election cycles now. You can go through my old comments to see me griping about it. I truly think that one of the largest unspoken parts of voter disenfranchisement is on election day at the polls due to poll workers who are not intending to disenfranchise anyone. Our poll workers are also paid, but it's also a volunteer basis (echoing comments made by mark k and Jane the Brown about who tends to work the polls).
Did you go to a training class, or was there any sort of training that you received ahead of working the polls? At least in our county, the person who is the head of that department has a lot to do with how the voting procedures are performed. Also in our county, that person was obviously politically biased about letting people actually vote and would teach the volunteers that "every voter could be trying to be a fraud". He thankfully retired.
I'm curious if you noticed any issues due to the more "customer service-y" side of poll work. One of the reasons I started volunteering (yes paid, but about minimum wage for like 15 hours in one day) was because I had such an unpleasant encounter with a poll worker who was incorrect about the law and very snotty. The first person the voter contacts now has to always be someone who has worked customer service before in the last few elections due to how heated and charged certain voters are about having to wear a mask to vote.
posted by lizjohn at 9:48 AM on October 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
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That said, I think this is wrong about your experience: "I assume someone was paid to set it up the way it now functions."
While some pieces probably had someone you could call a "designer" involved, a lot of the choices probably got made for technical reasons ("we need to capture this info here's a form") without much thought for final experience, or designed piecemeal such that there was no cohesive story/vision.
Another way to put that is if you want to design polling experience specifically my guess is you'd have to join whatever government org manages it and be a change agent yourself and build the will to put effort into fixing this problem.
Getting hired for service design is an aspect I don't know much about (my day-to-day is in UX)! I'd guess there are limited service design educational programs and most folks are coming over form UX or interior/architectural design.
posted by wemayfreeze at 10:41 AM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]