Students help democracy go LIVE

Teens set up electronic voting machines, teach voters how to use them

By T.S. Mills-Faraudo, STAFF WRITER
October 26, 2006

South San Francisco High School students (left to right) Katrina Lee, Bernadette Anat, Samantha Shum and Ayat Kaddoura practice Wednesday setting up and operating one of San Mateo County's new electronic voting machines. The students will be helping out at polling places Nov. 7.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO — You don't need to work at NASA to learn how to set up San Mateo County's new electronic voting machines, Greta McElroy of the county Elections Office told a group of South San Francisco High students Wednesday.

The South San Francisco High students are among almost 500 teens from 21 county schools who will attend training workshops over the next few weeks so they can work at the polls Nov. 7. Called Democracy LIVE!, the program gives students a chance to get involved in civics by working on Election Day.

Before the 28 South San Francisco students watched a training video, McElroy warned them that the video makes it seems much more complicated to put the machines together than it really is.

Once the students had a chance to unfold the plastic boxes with the eSlate voting machines, there were few mishaps in assembling the booths.

"It was pretty easy, but when we watched the video, it seemed really hard," South San Francisco senior Nia Meaders, 18, said.

The students in teacher Ashley Gray's government class don't get extra credit for working at the polls.

They do receive an $80 stipend for their work on Election Day, and $45 for attending the three-hour required training class.

But it wasn't the money that enticed many of the students to participate.

"I'm in Mr. Gray's class, and he's a really good teacher, and I learned about the importance of voting," senior Karen Hernandez, 16, said. "I think it's our duty to vote."

Students were chosen for the Democracy LIVE! program based on an essay they wrote about why they want to work at the polls, Gray said.

"The 18-to-25 age demographic has the lowest voter turnout," Gray said. "Hopefully, this will encourage them to get involved in the community and become life-long voters."

At the polls, students will set up the polling booths, greet voters and help them with any questions — including showing them how to use the new machines — and disassemble everything at the end of the 15-hour day.

With the new eSlate voting system, Sarah Carrade, community program specialist for the Elections Office, said the students will be very useful at the polls.

"This is the first time the county is introducing this equipment, so we're going to depend on the students to help voters," she said. "We think this is a great opportunity for high school seniors to get a first-hand look at democracy in action."

While most voters going to the polls Nov. 7 will cast paper ballots, some, including those with disabilities, will be using the new eSlates. One machine will be assigned per voting precinct.

None of the students seemed bothered by the fact that they have to report to the polls at 6 a.m.

"I really want to learn how our democracy is done first-hand," Sangita Bajpai, 17, said, adding that she wants to encourage her peers to vote when they're old enough.

Since 17-year-old Melvin Dominguez is not old enough to vote himself, he wanted to contribute in some way to the election process.

"Helping other people vote, I think will make a difference," he said.

Staff writer T.S. Mills-Faraudo covers education. She can be reached at (650) 348-4338 or tmills@sanmateocountytimes.com

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