Public service, giving back, or simply being kind
is essential to one's life. I believe in giving back to my
community. Since becoming a Poll Official in Gwinnett County in 2011, I
have had the opportunity to manage precincts on various Election Days,
from the special to general elections in Gwinnett County. On many
Election Days, I have worked extremely long hours—as many as 18 hours
in some precincts. But the belief in giving back to this great land and
this beautiful country gave me the energy to keep going because I know
from deep down my heart I will contribute to the change we want to see in our
community. And we, too, need to embrace the talent and contribution of
our people and the challenges that await us.
Yesterday, I worked in a
local precinct in Gwinnett from 6AM to 11PM, and that experience actually impacted me more than the time I spent at the poll.
It was not about money or posting this cute photo, I was there to help
bring the change I want to see in our community for the future
generation. Each election time, I receive an email from the Gwinnett
County Board of Elections asking if I am available to work at the polls as manager, as Assistant Manager, Clerk, worker, etc..… and I always make the time to volunteer. I am always happy to do it. Besides working
18 hours on Election Day, many hours of online and hands-on training
are required, but it's worth it; another way to see the current
technology and the evolution of electoral work in democratic
territories—
And more importantly, coming from Haiti, it is great to
see people peacefully engaged in the voting process. The
entire day we had various numbers of voters. Many prominent American
families walked through the doors, excited to cast their votes. They
brought their kids from months old to teenagers, their brothers, old
parents, and everyone in their family has been registered to vote except the
little ones they voted, and we made sure their votes were counted. I need to find out their choices or political preferences. Still, I know they tried
to educate their kids about the value of their rights of social duties
and their legal responsibility as citizens. I could bring this knowledge back home one day.
Also, many great citizens took a moment to thank us for volunteering and being
there at the polls to serve the community and facilitate democracy in
our great land. Those kind words were heartfelt and great to hear
from our citizens. They have made my world. Yes, Gwinnett county
pays a small amount for the full day of service, but I will donate the
full amount to my foundation, “The
Global Paint for Charity (GPC).” I can use it, but this is the best way to spend money.
It was a great experience and honor to meet as many people as possible, from helping seniors properly cast their votes to managing a team of
7-9 Poll Officials to ensure the appropriateness, effectiveness, and
immediate results of the election processes performed within a specific
period. A few minutes after the polls closed at 7pm, we
could count the votes and post the results. This is so
amazing!! It may be “Only in America,” but I will let you be the judge. Unlike in the United States, counting and publishing election results are not simple in some countries. Usually, it may take days, weeks, or in extreme cases, months before the election results are ready and can be posted. Too often in those countries, corruption and fraud affect vote counts to bring effective election results. Poor election results can even have the effect of a coup d'état, or corrupted leaders get elected. And we all know what could happen.
So I will continue advancing our entire community and our great land. God Bless America!!
Please forgive me
in advance for any typographic errors and run-on sentences. If you have
any questions or concerns, please feel free to comment or email me at ronydelgarde@globalpaints.org. Have a great day, everyone!!
Rony Delgarde
