Be kind. Vote early. Poll workers have hard jobs.

Most sign up as a community service. Republican or Democrat (and by statute both parties are represented at every polling place), the people checking your registration, printing your ballots and running the tabulating machines are motivated by a sense of civic obligation. We believe free and fair elections are the heart and soul of democracy.

True, we get paid. Not a lot. Most poll workers, like me, are senior citizens. A few hundred dollars can be a welcome supplement to Social Security or provide some pocket money for Christmas presents or other small luxuries. Often voters thank us for “volunteering.” Sometimes they even bring us donuts or other snacks. But we’re not volunteers in the genuine sense. There’s a small paycheck at the end. Yet it remains a tough gig. The rewards are mostly intangible, like seeing an eighteen-year-old cast their first ballot. You don’t know how they voted, just that they voted.

When I worked the primary election as a clerk in Santa Fe last spring, it meant putting in ten hours a day, six days a week for two weeks during early voting. Those were long hours, but we had time for breaks and could occasionally stretch our legs. There was plenty of time for crossword puzzles because voters barely trickled through. Ten minutes might go by without any foot traffic. Often time dragged.

That was early voting, but everything was about to change.

On Election Day itself, my wife and I were on duty for fourteen hours, from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm, dawn to dusk. The polling place was mobbed, non-stop. We didn’t even have time for lunch. Barely time to go to the bathroom. For old folks, fourteen hours without a break is killer. Yes, voters often thanked us for volunteering. (I didn’t correct them.) But the best possible thanks you can give a poll worker is to make their job a little easier. Don’t wait until the last possible day to cast your ballot.

Vote early. And please don’t eat our donuts!

For early voting times, dates and locations, visit SantaFe.vote.