First Time Poll Workers Fighting for Democracy by Juan Diego Reyes

First Time Poll Workers Fighting for Democracy

Asheville, NC

#Editorial #Photography

Oct 20, 2020

As a first-time poll worker this year, Mae Tesh from Asheville, North Carolina says, "I try to acknowledge the privilege that I have to be able to work the polls; I'm pretty young, I'm not high risk. And I think this election is incredibly important. I would hate for a lack of workers that certain polling to shut polling places down, so people wouldn't be able to go there to easily cast their vote. And I think it is a passion thing, because I am a political science major, but I would do it even if I had to skip classes, because it's just really important to me."

Vogue worked with poll-worker recruitment organization Power the Polls to speak to eight first-time poll workers across America"from Austin to Omaha to Birmingham and beyond"about what motivated them to become poll workers, why their volunteer work matters, and what kind of country they hope to come of age in.

Photographed on Assignment for Vogue Magazine.

https://www.vogue.com/article/first-time-poll-workers-2020-election