Cate Landry is a freshman from Boulder, Colorado. She is thinking of majoring in something within the scientific field but is not sure of her specific career focus yet. Cate is very politically involved and is becoming a poll worker this year for Election Day this November. Here, she talks about her experience at early voting.
Her Campus: Overall, how was your 2020 voting experience?
Cate Landry: It was really good! I didn’t know what to expect because it was my first time voting in person. I was impressed by the amount of people from all different kinds of backgrounds, demographics, and ages that showed up and came out to vote. Especially the number of people I saw from my generation who really want to make an impact in this election year.
HC: Approximately how much time did you spend in line and how long did it take to actually vote?
CL: I went to the Winston Salem First Assembly Church which is right off-campus and was only a 15-minute walk from my dorm. I probably waited in line for about 30 minutes, and then the voting itself took about 15 minutes. The same-day registration was what took up most of the time in the voting place, and it probably would’ve been a lot quicker if I had been pre-registered.
HC: Speaking of same-day registration, what was that process like and why did you decide to register in North Carolina over Colorado?
CL: I thought I was already registered because I registered on the last day to register, the 9th, and it hadn’t gone through yet. If I had voted a few days later during the early voting period, it would have gone through, but I wanted to vote on the first day of early voting. They asked me for my proof of residency, my name, date of birth, and other personal information like that, and then handed me my ballot to fill out. I decided to vote here in NC because where I’m from in Colorado is very one-sided politically so my vote would not have done that much to influence the results. There’s a close senate race there between Cory Gardner and John Hickenlooper, but it’s not as close as here between Thom Tillis and Cal Cunningham. Also, because NC is a swing state on the presidential level it would be more impactful.
HC: So, you’re signed up to be a poll worker. What made you decide to go through the training to work the polls on election day?
CL: I decided to do that because I felt really inspired in the last few months to do everything I can to make sure that my voice is represented and that everyone’s voice is heard. Additionally, with the pandemic, a lot of the older poll workers are at a significantly higher risk with Covid-19 than I am, so I thought it would be helpful if I signed up. And I knew that there was a poll worker shortage so I want to be able to say that I did everything that I could this year.