THOSE TWO WORDS MAMA TAUGHT—"BE NICE—APPLY TO RELATING TO CANDIDATES/POLL GREETERS AT VOTING SITES

Unlike the last time we passed down the walkway to enter the Richland College Garland Campus to vote, it wasn't my name on the ballot, nor were my representatives outside passing out my campaign material. But lessons learned in the May 2018 election made me a better voter—and poll visitor.

I have now voted in the fall elections. Unlike the last time I stepped onto the Garland campus of Richland College to cast my vote, my name is not one of those on the ballot. Likewise, my campaign signs are not among those in the sea of signage lining the driveway to the ballot box. And neither I nor my campaign workers are among the poll-greeters that extend their hands on my behalf as voters pass down the walkway to enter the building.

Today I voted as an average citizen, just as curious as anyone about the outcome of this mega turnout in these county, state, and national races.

My wife, Kay, wears  her "I voted" sticker from the last election. "I voted" stickers had run out after we visited the polling place yesterday, a sign of the huge turnout for this election.

But my experience as a voter has been forever changed by my campaigning for Garland Mayor during the spring of 2018. I've now been on the other side of the equation; the veil has been lifted on how it all works. As I've mentioned before, it was an educational, exhilarating time—one of the most fulfilling periods of my adulthood.

I'll have to be honest, however. The period that began with early voting in late April and ended at the second the polls closed at 7 p.m. on Election Day demonstrated some Garland citizens at their worst. Never have some Garlandites had an opportunity to exhibit classlessness quite as much as that portion of the election—and I'm not talking about the election outcome and who won/lost. Standing outside the polling places and observing human behavior showed a totally unnecessary, abject boorishness of lots of our citizenry—and for what?

In a previous column, I stated that the gift to Garland in the spring 2018 elections was that citizens gained experience in how to conduct themselves during CONTESTED local races, something of an anomaly in Garland because many officeholders now are elected or reelected unopposed. I believe it is more than just an accident of history. I mentioned that the more experiences local citizens have with contested races, the more skilled they'll become at such activities as conducting unbiased candidate forums, issuing endorsements, and other parts of the process.

A sea of signage greets voters that drive into the Richland College Garland Campus to cast their votes.

As I have reported, elections in Garland typically are run by a tiny group of voters—what I call the "2-Percenter Club" of insiders (a.k.a. gatekeepers), with only candidates on the ballot that have been blessed by insider endorsements. Garland citizens lack experience in proper decorum when a race, in fact, (as it should) does draw several opponents. Citizens' lack of sophistication—and good manners—in this area never shows up quite as much as it does in behavior at the polling sites.

Because of this, I'm compelled to share some pointers for voters when they arrive to exercise their constitutional right. These guidelines can be summed up in two words—the same words that your Mama taught you from toddlerhood on—"Be Nice!"

1. Unless you're grievously pressed for time (as in a dire emergency) go down the line of candidates or their representatives. Don't avoid them. Shake the hand of each one and give them a smile. No matter what it looks like, this is not an easy job for them. By greeting them, you're NOT committing your vote either way (unless you know they're getting your vote. Then certainly quietly tell them, if you feel comfortable. That'll make their day.) But you don't have to reveal your choice to anyone. What you do once you're at the voting machine is nobody's business but yours. Thank the candidates for running. Each person has sacrificed time with his/her family, job, leisure, sleep, etc., to be a candidate for public office. They've put themselves out there for people to take potshots at. Granted, they're freely making this choice, but except for the rare narcissist, they're doing it for the citizens—for the love of city, county, state, or nation. Some of the candidates in the current November elections have been at this for a LONG time. Our city election cycle ran from February to May; then we were done. Some of these candidates in the current races we began running into on the campaign trail late last year, and the election's not over yet. That's a lot of months to be at this energizing yet at times monstrously draining endeavor. The last thing they need is more negativity from voters at the polls.

Candidates and their representatives aren't there to invite rude behavior. Take a moment to walk alongside their stations, greet them with a "Hello", and proceed on to vote. You're not committing yourself to supporting them if you just extend a friendly greeting.

If you, as a voter, experience any kind of disrespectful behavior or abuse from a candidate or his/her poll-greeter, then by all means report it to the campaign headquarters or to an election official/poll watcher inside. If someone becomes overly pushy, then pleasantly wave them on and move along to your ballot box. But if all they're doing is greeting you and asking for your vote, just smile and say thank you. Or just smile, wave, and go on about your business. But don't avoid the lineup. It might be your first time to meet a real-live candidate in a local election. If the person does happen to win and you need the individual's help later, you can say, "I met you in line at the polls" as a point of reference.

I'll never forget meeting the affable Delores Elder-Jones in the Garland mayor's race in 2012. She was greeting voters at the polls outside the Richland College Garland Campus. Her warmth and genuine smile were like a ray of sunshine. She seemed sincerely glad to meet everyone with whom she shook hands. While Delores didn't get my vote in that election (a fact she already knows), she certainly won me over. I became determined to learn more about her and now seek her counsel and insight regularly. You never know where that one greeting will go. Don't miss the opportunity. You might make a friend for life.

2. For heaven's sakes, don't duck your head, avert your eyes, turn up your nose, hurriedly lock yourself in your vehicle, and speed off, burning rubber on the way. We saw this ill behavior more times than we'd like to remember. Unfortunately, some of these examples were seen among people we mistook as close friends—who did everything they could to avoid courteous behavior. What the heck? It's just an election! No one commits a crime by the simple act of running for office. I value courtesy more than I do a single vote in an election. What would be wrong with a friendly greeting on the way to the voting booth? A "hi—how are you?" and then move on inside. Does that really hurt anyone?

"Be Nice". Some poll visitors in our experience were super courteous and made the job easier. Last spring's election taught me a lot about how to conduct one's self when visiting an election site.

Again, you don't HAVE to vote for the person. Vote your convictions, but don't be rude. If your friend is running for office, and you don't think he or she is right for the job, you can still greet, wave, and shake hands. After all, Garland always has been and still is a friendly town. True friendship should transcend the outcome of an election. Don't burn bridges on the way to the ballot box, for goodness sake. Before long, the election will be over and everyone will return to the day-to-dayness of their lives. You may need to work with that candidate again in some other setting. Coalitions form and re-form as various issues arise. Don't leave such ill-will that civil behavior after an election becomes a challenge.

And, on occasion, if you take a minute to engage with a poll-greeter or candidate, you might actually learn something. My vote once was changed by a poll-greeter who made an extremely persuasive argument for his/her position just as I was about to enter and cast my ballot for the person's opponent. That last-minute conversation, aptly delivered, persuaded me. I never regretted my decision on that vote. But had that candidate not approached me and been open to answer questions, I would have voted wrongly.

Be kind this election season, listen up, and you might be glad you did.

Lineup of campaign signs are everywhere as one approaches the Richland College Garland Campus.