Opinion | Confessions of a poll worker

On Saturday, October 24, I had my first opportunity to serve my community as an election inspector, one of the people who staff your local polling place. I spent the day at my Ingham County community’s early voting site, and the experience moved me to write this essay.

man outside standing aside an American flag — Greg Talberg is a retired educator who recently worked his first shift as an election inspector in Ingham County. (Courtesy photo)

What struck me most is that if voters were familiar with the people, procedures and processes behind our elections, the skepticism we see in surveys would shrink considerably. Surveys show many Americans doubt our elections. But the same surveys show people trust their own polling place far more than elections nationally. In 2024, Gallup found that 76% of Americans were confident votes would be counted accurately where they vote, including 70% of Republicans. The distrust is aimed at something distant and abstract, not at the people voters actually see.

Much of that doubt has been fed by claims of widespread fraud, most prominently from President Trump, that investigations haven’t borne out. Here in Michigan, the most thorough review of the 2020 election was led by a Republican, State Sen. Ed McBroom of Waucedah Township. His committee heard from 87 witnesses and found “no evidence of widespread or systematic fraud.”

Back to the people, processes and procedures I mentioned. If you are skeptical of election security or results, I strongly encourage you to contact your county, city or township clerk and ask how they keep elections secure. Without getting bogged down in technical details, here is what stood out to me after one day on the job.

First, the voting process is bipartisan by law. When you go to vote, both Democrats and Republicans are at work. Any time a task or vote could be influenced by an election inspector, a member of each party must be involved. That includes verifying that the number of voters matches the number of ballots cast, unlocking and locking the tabulator and even assisting a voter who asks for help. In every case, people from each party work side by side to make sure votes are collected, processed and counted fairly and accurately.

Second, there is a lot of expertise at polling sites. All election inspectors are trained. Clerks are highly trained. Perhaps more importantly, the work is collaborative. If there is any confusion or question, there is always someone to turn to.

Finally, while results are reported at the county, state, and federal level, the process is decentralized. Every vote total you see was first collected and recorded locally, which makes systemic fraud nearly impossible to pull off. It’s also why, when voter fraud is found, it’s typically one bad actor who tried hard to cheat and got caught.

My experience also made it clear that voters generally trust the process and appreciate the people who make it happen. We didn’t receive a single complaint, but we heard a lot of “thank yous.” If you’re skeptical of election results, remember this: the election inspector you thanked, who may be your neighbor or friend, is ultimately the person you are accusing of fraud. Our

elections are decentralized, bipartisan and locally run. Systemic fraud would require the coordinated efforts of hundreds, if not thousands, of people just like you.

If you’re a skeptic, the good news is that you don’t have to trust me. I’m confident that if you learn how elections are conducted and ask your local clerk some questions, you will vote with confidence.

As for my confession? I walked into my first shift curious about what I’d find. I walked out more confident in our elections than I have ever been.