What volunteering as an L.A. County poll worker taught me about politics
There is nothing political about being a poll worker.
This op-ed was published in the Los Angeles Times on May 30, 2024
When I used to complain about the divisiveness of American politics, my son, Henry, would often suggest I do something about it. Henry had been a poll worker during the 2020 elections, when he was 17. It was his first official job and he loved the experience. He even wrote about it in his college essays.
After Henry was tragically killed in an accident on Aug. 29, 2022, I followed his lead and signed up to work that year’s midterms. It could have been a mistake committing to something this important when I was struggling with my grief. Instead, I became completely engaged in the work and learned, through my son’s example, how we can all still find nonpartisan ways to better our political process and rise above our country’s fragmentation.