My Florida poll watching experience - the MAGA mens' fear is real! [View all]

[mcar]

As many of you know, I live in a small rural, ruby red FL county that is predominantly, but not entirely, retirees. I'm one of the founders of our Democratic Women's Club chapter and am active in the local Democratic party.

This is my 3rd election cycle volunteering as a poll watcher for the Democratic Party.

Maybe because I've been reading so much about it and was more attuned to it. Maybe it's happened each time and I didn't notice, but on a busy afternoon of early voting, I saw several couples, where the man seemed to be really focused on the woman's vote.

Once a person gets their ballot and goes to a "booth," which is really a table with sides, their vote is their own. The booths are set very closely together, but you are not allowed to converse with the other voter, or check what they are doing. The precinct clerk and one other poll worker monitor, as they can, and will tell people, politely, that they can't talk.

Yesterday, in walks a couple in their 30s, I'd guess. The greeter directs them to station 4 and 5 to get checked in, right next to each other. The man seemed nonplussed that they weren't being processed together and kept looking, just a few inches to his right, like he had to be checking on his wife pulling out her ID. I noticed it right away.

The worker announced the wife as a first time voter. We all cheered (it's a sweet custom). The couple got their ballots and proceeded to 2 booths near where I was watching.

Husband, who is quite tall, immediately started looking over the top of the booths to watch his wife fill out her ballot, talking to her all the way. Clerk could not see this from where she was.

I got up, walked to the clerk (the only person I can talk to in the polling place) and told her that the couple was talking. She thanked me and went to tell them they couldn't do that.

Husband accused her of spying on his ballot! She assured him she was not, he grumbled, they cast their ballots and left.

Clerk thanked me again and told me what the guy said. I told her I thought the whole thing was creepy. She nodded in agreement.

I witnessed a few other instances of couples talking and the men being kind of watchful, but nothing as egregious as the first.

I do think MAGA men are spooked.