The Daily Show: Ears Edition - ICYMI - Power the Polls

Episode Date: October 19, 2020

Jaboukie Young-White talks to Power the Polls co-director Scott Duncombe about the dire need for additional poll workers to ensure everyone can vote safely and on time in the 2020 election. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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coronavirus has prevented many elderly poll workers from helping out this year. So we could see even longer voting lines than usual, but luckily people have been coming up with some creative solutions. There is an energetic effort you might even call it frantic in some jurisdictions to recruit a new generation of poll workers to replace older ones. That's meant creative recruiting tactics like allowing 17-year-old high school seniors to serve as poll workers. In just a few months they've gotten more than 30,000 kids to step up. An army of kids working from their bedrooms using their social media skills.

This Tick-Tock, racking up nearly 200,000 views. Wisconsin using National Guard troops to work the state's primary. In Battleground Ohio, they're recruiting at barbershops. And companies like Old Navy and Target offering employees a paid day off to man the polls. Laker Star LeBron James, helping get out the vote. His new voting initiative has recruited 10,000 poll workers. At Newport's wooden cast brewing company, they're labeling craft beer with political ads. It's a plea for

poll workers and QR code that leads smartphone drinkers to Kentucky Secretary of State's website to sign up for training. Okay so the good news is there might be a lot of new poll workers. The bad news is some of them might be wasted. You don't want to vote for Donald Trump because that guy's orange. But yes, there's a big push right now to find poll workers for this election. And our very own Djibouki, Young White decided to sign up. What are poll workers? Get your voting to the poll.

Get your voting to the poll. Nope, not that. Found that out the hard way. Poll workers are the volunteers that help the election run smoothly. But now, thanks to COVID-19, old people, the majority of volunteers, are dropping out. Thankfully, there's an initiative recruiting younger election day poll workers called Power the Polls. So, I sat down with one of their directors. Scott, a huge fan of your work.

You're taking care of business. Everything's under control. Just wanted to contribute, give you guys a huge shout out. So, good job. Yeah. I mean, I really appreciate that. And I definitely could use it.

But what we really need is poll workers. to make sure that everyone can vote safely and on is an important election. You better do your part. We're actually really excited to get young folks like yourself. So we're really looking for someone kind of exactly like you. You've got to be a registered voter or over the age of 16. I think you're older than 16. Well, that's very flattering. I do get that a lot. But you know who I actually have. I have a friend who I think that this would be perfect for, he has way more time on his hands than me. Do you know Trevor Noah? He would be so, actually, is 45 too old. He's not from here, so I don't know if he's a registered voter.

But we need everyone to show up in person. You don't have to leave your house. You mean like actually go outside and put on his hands. I've been bottomless for six months. Oh, and there's also that little issue of a fucking pandemic. Everyone is going to get PPE who shows up. Mask, face shield, hand sanitizers, all that good stuff. But we mostly just need his folks to help get people checked in, fill out their ballots, answer questions.

The thing to power the polls is really hoping to inspire is a next generation of poll workers. Okay here's another thought. How about we rebrand the name? I mean even starting with poll worker. Those are two bad words. Pole I'm thinking of the subway. It's dirty. It's gross. Worker? I'm thinking of work. No one likes that. What about? Um, okay I'm thinking. Pole line monitors. King of the ballots. Poll you out of line if you don't vote. Vote regulator.

Holy moly. Like, holy moly? Ooh, how about? Election influencer? Ooh, I don't know. Hmm. Problem is you're there to be a nonpartisan. Okay, look,

millennials are broke. What you need to do to get people to the polls is money. Well, Djibouki, usually you do get paid to be a poll worker. It's usually over $10 an hour, so for a full day, that's like a couple hundred bucks. Yeah, no. I thu- that's that's thuuuuuuuuuu- that's that's that's that's that's that's thu-a'm making right now. Hi yeah um so you just weren't gonna tell me that they were casting for poll workers? The money sounds good but if I'm gonna spend all day taking ballots and risking paper cuts I'm gonna need something more. We'll uh we'll send you pizza if that's icing on the cake. I also work for an organization called Pizza the Poles.

And so we'll get you lunch and all the folks at the polling place. You think you can buy me with pizza? What topping? Pepperoni? It worked. Okay, Scott. Now say that there's people who don't like pizza as if that even exists, but they don't volunteer. What's the worst thing that can happen?

There's longer lines, fewer polling places. The polling places tend to close in cities and communities where people of color votes. It's less safe for poll workers and voters. If poll workers don't show up, it can change the whole course of history and have an election that doesn't represent us as a country. If you are 16 years old, sign up to be a fucking poll worker and do something with your fucking line for once!

Sign up, please. poll worker and do something with your fucking life for once! Sign up, please! Volunteer, please! What kind of topping was it again? Uh, we, uh, will you cheese, usually, and pepperoni? Uh, we sent gluten-free ones too, if we can. At least do it for the gluten-free pizza. You've contributed nothing to life so far. Can we get green peppers and onions?

The Daily Show with CoverNoa, Ears Edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and the Comedy Central Act. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and more. This has been a Comedy Central podcast. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television.

Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look.